You may need to level the subfloor of your steps particularly the center of your stair treads. It has a lower moisture content than typical wood glue, which will ensure that the bond is stronger and wont seep into the laminate. Remove that amount from the length of your tread as well. is there such a thing as "right to be heard"? A good tip is to mark each piece with a number as soon as you cut it to size, this way you will know which piece corresponds with each stair. It is possible that your stairwell has an overhang from the existing nosing (the protruding edge of the stair). Because laminate must be allowed to dry before it can be walked on, begin your installation at the top of the stairs and work your way down to avoid becoming trapped upstairs! Engineered Floor Joists vs 2X10 Lumber: Which is Better? To prevent this issue, you can install laminate flooring on stairs without stair nosings. You'll need some long nails to get through the carpet, so it's best to pre-drill the nail holes so you don't split the trim. Theyre easy to install, clean, and maintain. After those are on, install your riser pieces and then finish with the nosing. DIY how to tutorial projects and guides - Did you know we have a DIY Projects section? A tight bond is critical for laminate on steps. These typically cost $12.50-$13.75 per square foot. Do the same on the vertical part of the step using the riser pieces. When you take into consideration the installation method, you will find that it is also simple to set up. A box of laminate is typically just over 15 square feet, so youll need about 3.5 boxes of laminate for that same flight of stairs. Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange! FloorTechie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Remove any existing flooring or trim from the stairs and check that the subfloor is in good condition and that the stairs are level. Your average step is about 36 wide. Best of luck with your next laminate stair project! Due to the fact that most laminate boards will not cover the entire step, you may need to cut from a second board. After youve cut your treads and risers, cut your nose pieces. Install should look just like picture. What is Laminate Flooring made of? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? In addition, there is another advantage to utilizing a pretty liberal amount of construction glue while mounting the stair nose that you may not have considered: durability. 99% positive Lally Column vs Jack Post: Whats the Difference? You must log in or register to reply here. Finally, once youve finished installing your laminate on the entire staircase, allow it to cure overnight and avoid walking on it for approximately 12 hours. Then, cut the adjoined planks down to the span of the stairs from left to right. The best way to end laminate flooring at the bottom of the stairs is to install a stair nose trim that matches the laminate flooring. Each page also comes with pictures and a video to make completing those jobs even easier! Continue with two more cuts with the hand saw along the side of the cut-out square until you reach the wall's bottom plate. It is extremely tacky when handling, which means when you glue your laminate planks together, the initial bond is tight and you dont have to hold it. Despite this, laminate flooring is relatively easy to install yourself, provided you've got the right tools and some time on your hands. What's the cheapest way to buy out a sibling's share of our parents house if I have no cash and want to pay less than the appraised value? You dont want imperfections in a high traffic area youll see them every day. If that is your option I would use it. White flooring will blend in seamlessly with existing house furnishings in any room. That means you would need either 3 or 4 boxes of laminate flooring for a staircase with ten steps. You are going to glue the riser in place using construction adhesive. If you do the math, the total square footage of a tread plus a riser with those dimensions is above 4.5 square feet. the four laminate flooring layers are held together by a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core. Its possible that youll need to cut these down to fit the length of your stairwell. If they are uneven, you can use a belt sander to level them out, or simply use a scraper to get rid of any debris or high spots. How to Install Laminate Flooring on Stairs: 13 Steps Nosings usually overlap the width of the treads to create an overhang. It lacks carpet, but will demonstrate the basic idea. How to Install Laminate Flooring on Open Stairs - SFGATE When installing laminate flooring on stairs, remember to take your time since the process differs greatly compared to installing laminate on floors. Putting a very small bead across the tongue will ensure adhesion but also minimize the amount youll need to wipe away. Nearly all laminate flooring comes in 48 lengths. Glue enough planks of laminate together so that it fits the width of your tread. The carpet is fitted into the expansion gap of the wood floor round so I always fit the laminate first. Using the cardboard on top of the laminate tread piece youve cut, mark out the spindle holes on the tread. On the other hand, if your nosing is designed to fit over your tread, then you dont have to worry about leaving the tongue end of your laminate on and you can cut your treads to width however you want. Youll also want to consider renting or buying a laminate floor cutter. Even taking an expensive brand of laminate, at close to $3 per square foot, youll be paying less than half the cost about $200 than you would be for hardwood treads and risers. This will improve the adhesion between the laminate and subfloor. Remove the carpeting. Years of feet thumping up and down the center of your stairs will wear down the centers compared to the stair edges. Carpet stairs before fitting laminate at bottom of stairs? Laminate floors provide many upsides when installed on stairs. The first area which I can see me having problems is when I reach the bottom of the stairs. No More Nails adhesive on PVA primed drywall? Scrape or Sand Off Leftover Adhesive. You can easily and effectively install laminate floorboards on stairs, with or without nose stripping. We do not specifically market to children under 13. Youll also need the nosing that goes with your laminate product. Installing Laminate Flooring Around Doors and Next to Tiles - How to Overcome Height Difference? Installing laminate flooring on stairs is one instance in which you will not want to employ a floating-floor system, therefore do not use underlayment in this situation. This is necessary as you may need to cut a number of boards to fill in extra spaces. If you do decide to go with nailing, use a pneumatic (automatic) nailer. Dont be shy with your construction adhesive and consider using nails or screws to provide additional adhesion for your laminate treads, risers, and nosing. Your nosing will sit on top of it, and if it isnt flush to the subfloor, then the nosing wont attach properly. Thank you very much. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Simply make certain that the nails you use are ribbed for increased gripping force. The laminate stair nosing will fit against the tread edge and be glued and screwed to the subfloor.