Basic stair carpet to tile finishing question

4690 Views 19 Replies 11 Participants Last post by CitadelBlue, Jun 4, 2016

facepalm

Discussion Starter · Feb 9, 2016

Hi there everyone, first-time poster and glad to have found this forum as I'm stumped! No help from the box stores near me ..

I recently gutted all of the carpet and linoleum on my home, and replaced it with hardwood and tile. My father provided great help with the basics of this, but I have now come to the only stair that I am unsure about how to finish the project out. My plan is to tile the bottom of the steps, edge the front with a schulter edge or nosing and have the trim and back and sides painted white. This part is what I am not sure about!

The existing stair structure itself is in great shape and is original from when the house was built in 2005. I have left the original trim that went over the carpet on the sides of the stairs. I am looking for suggestions on how to finish or trim up the rough stairs. Do they make some prefinished pieces I could face the backs of each stair with, and maybe something like that for the sides? Or sand the sides and paint?

(I did a quick search for stair trim and couldn't find anything specific)

Any and all help is much appreciated! :smile:

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joecaption

· #2 · Feb 9, 2016

#1, Box stores are the very last place to ask how to do anything!!!.
Was there carpet over those old stairs?
Got a real mess there.
Looks like someone used window casing or crown molding to cover up the stair aprin, looks like poop, should have been base cap molding.
Hand rails not even legal, should have been against the wall and returned back to the wall.
Stair treads should have had 1-1/4 over hang and rounded edges.

facepalm

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 9, 2016

Yes, the stairs used to be covered with carpet, and what you're seeing is probably the leftover glue residue that I haven't completely melted and scraped away yet. I measured and each stair does have a 1-1/4" rounded nose on each.

I don't know about the handrail legality in my province, but I'll look into that.

Any ideas on options for mdf-paintable trim pieces I can look into to cover the edges, back and sides? Or would I sand and paint the existing rough pine stair? The latter doesn't seem right to me..

SeniorSitizen

· #4 · Feb 10, 2016

You got about the same amount of help here as the box store but without all the ridicule at the store so try the store again.

Reactions: 1

Nestor_Kelebay

· #5 · Feb 10, 2016

If you're interested in commercial flooring, Johnsonite makes both vinyl and rubber stair treads for stairs with 1 1/4 inch round nosings.

Johnsonite also makes vinyl trim to cover the vertical parts of the stairs.

Spend some time at www.johnsonite.com and you'll see what's available in vinyl and rubber.

I have rubber stair treads in the front and back stairwells of my building, and I can tell you that rubber stair treads are extremely durable. They're meant for high traffic areas, and rubber on rubber has one of the highest coefficients of friction there is, so walking up rubber stair treads with rubber soled shoes gives unparalled traction.

Yodaman

· #6 · Feb 10, 2016

Do some research on "stair retread" you will find a dizzying amount of info.
Every type of tread and riser you could imagine is available.

Reactions: 1

facepalm

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 10, 2016 (Edited)

Thanks! This is more what I'm after. I'd preferably like to use tile that I used in the front entry, and use some of that riser material in white as well. I guess sand and paint the sides of the stairs or find material for that too?

firehawkmph

· #8 · Feb 10, 2016

Face palm,
For the risers I would try and sand them smooth enough to prime and paint. I have seen a friend glue thin pieces (approx 1/16") to the triangular sections of the skirts. It takes a little cutting and fitting, but would probably be easier than sanding in the tight areas. I wouldn't recommend tile on the stair treads. I have done that for customers and it doesn't seem that good to walk on. Can get a bit slippery and be a little fragile. Check like someone suggested for stair tread options and see if you find something that suits your taste.
Mike Hawkins:smile:

BigJim

· #9 · Feb 10, 2016

If you plan to use some type of tile nosing on the round over, it will not stay and can cause a fall and insurance will not pay for an injury.

facepalm

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 11, 2016

I guess I'm looking at buying a stair tread and riser kit in the matching maple that I have for hardwood, and I'll stain it to match. I'm still thinking a painted white and sides in white. Thanks for opinions and advice provided here

Reactions: 2

carpdad

· #11 · Feb 12, 2016

For the sides and the riser face, I'd fill, sand and paint. For the treads, you can cut off the nose, flush with riser. Then replace the nose with hardwood nosing made for the engineered flooring. These are rabbeted already to fit over a rough staircase. Homedepot doesn't have it. I looked. You may have to search several flooring stores and may find one that's same thickness as the tile. Nosing must be fixed firm. I'd nail both the face and the tread parts.
I don't know about putting tiles on a wood stairs. I'd be worrying all the time about grout joints, min.:smile: Have you researched about it? Smaller tiles, esp porcelain, may be better but it will mean more grout joints. I'd want the grout to be somewhat flexible. Maybe the acrylic liquid.

facepalm

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 17, 2016

carpdad said:
For the sides and the riser face, I'd fill, sand and paint. For the treads, you can cut off the nose, flush with riser. Then replace the nose with hardwood nosing made for the engineered flooring. These are rabbeted already to fit over a rough staircase. Homedepot doesn't have it. I looked. You may have to search several flooring stores and may find one that's same thickness as the tile. Nosing must be fixed firm. I'd nail both the face and the tread parts.
I don't know about putting tiles on a wood stairs. I'd be worrying all the time about grout joints, min.:smile: Have you researched about it? Smaller tiles, esp porcelain, may be better but it will mean more grout joints. I'd want the grout to be somewhat flexible. Maybe the acrylic liquid.

I've decided to avoid tile and doing the whole staircase using the same hardwood as I have throughout most of the house. I'll sand the back and sides for paint, or look into some primed MDF material to cut and fit. Thanks for the tips

Reactions: 1

stairNosing

· #13 · Feb 21, 2016

For your consideration, we have a stainless steel, custom flush-mount bull nose product that works with wood flooring.

CitadelBlue

· #14 · Apr 14, 2016

Seems many of us have stair questions. I too removed the carpet from my stairs and am thinking hardwood. Take a look here .....

Treads are about $32 each and for risers I think 1/4 inch painted finished luann plywood ......
BUT I just don't want to do 13 stairs and have my wife tell me the stairs are too slick ....Thoughts?

Yodaman

· #15 · Apr 14, 2016

CitadelBlue said:
Seems many of us have stair questions. I too removed the carpet from my stairs and am thinking hardwood. Take a look here .....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaMWdM5TBQ0

Treads are about $32 each and for risers I think 1/4 inch painted finished luann plywood ......
BUT I just don't want to do 13 stairs and have my wife tell me the stairs are too slick ....Thoughts?

If your wife walks around the house in socks, wood stairs will be slippery. In shoes or a good rubber sole slipper they will be no problem.

Luann for risers is a little too soft. You might look into a furniture finish grade plywood. You would like to think they will never get kicked, but they will.

Olcrazy1

· #16 · Apr 19, 2016

Personally if it was mine I would sand it all down. Stain and clear the runs and paint the risers. Lotta work but will looks good. After that maybe a carpet runner down the center so that no one slips and bashes their skull open

CitadelBlue

· #17 · Jun 3, 2016

Here are some ideas:
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/salvaged-and-painted-stairs.htmlttp://

CitadelBlue

· #18 · Jun 3, 2016

2

Here's my finished stairs:

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Yodaman

· #19 · Jun 4, 2016

Ken, looks great.
And I hate being critical of someones newly finished work, but I am concerned that the thin boards on the edge that make up the nosing will eventually roll over.
Stair treads are usually made from a singe board. If they start to roll, then it quickly becomes a safety issue.

CitadelBlue

· #20 · Jun 4, 2016

I've seen the single boards/tread. They are really either tongued and glued into one board or just glued. I've also seen the tread that is stick built from pieces of hardwood flooring and the bull nose piece never matches in color. What I did was made my own bull nose - cutting off the tongue and using a router and sander The pieces are then glued with Loctite's PL 3x glue and evenly spread on the existing tread. The sticks/hardwood are then positioned and nailed via the tongue. The last row is positioned and nailed on the ends. I agree the bull nose piece could come loose and be a safety issue. I'll just have to watch it. Right now those pieces are pretty secured ... b ut thanks for commenting.

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