Covering the treads and risers in hardwood is a significant use of our finishing budget. The work is labour intensive and consumes a lot of material. The outcome is worth the expense in my view. My installer is working by himself, unfortunately he's a one man team. I like the end result however. Here is a shot of the first few treads going in.
Each tread is a paintstaking process. But it looks great. Carpeting these treads would be a fraction of the cost.