Hello - I took the carpet off of my open stairs (no risers) and refinished the wood underneath. They looked beautiful but after a few months of using them I noticed how soft the wood is. There are dents, scratches etc. I did apply many coats of polyurethane after staining them but I'm afraid they just won't hold up. I thought I might be able to put a thin piece of hard wood on top and fill in the gaps with wood putty because all stair treads that I've found are for stairs with risers. Can anyone tell me if the soft wood will hold up over time? I am going to paint them because of the stain inconsistencies and the scratches in the clear poly but any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!