Tread

Tread

– The horizontal component of a staircase or the step, the part you walk on. The tread rests on a riser – or the vertical component of a step.

We refer to stair counts as the number of treads/number of risers. Example: a single run on a straight staircase with 12 treads has 13 risers. When there is a landing within the staircase, the thread/riser counts should be broken down by each flight or run. If those 12 treads were instead split into 2 sections, let’s say 5 and 7 – your count is 5 treads/6 risers + 7 treads/8 risers OR a total of 12 treads and14 risers. This is important when calculating linear footage required.

The total number of risers is always greater than the total number of treads.

Additional Stair Runner Glossary Articles:

Riser

Nosing

Landing

Straight Staircase