I don’t need exact how to , point me toward a book, Taunton resource, or something. I haven’t done stair skirtboards, and this stairway with it’s bottom and two turns has me puzzled. They are going to pull up the carpet, and I’m going to put the skirtboards, and then the flooring contractor will put in the new stairs (actually, manufactured laminated flooring 7/16″ thick) butted up to the skirtboards.
What has me a bit stumped is how to do the details at the landing and top. The skirtboards will probably a 1×8 or 1×10, and needs to meet up with the baseboard at the landing. Also that wrap around the wall at the inside of turn at the landing looks pretty knarley.
I know there is a “right” way to do it, and would like to get it right the first time.
Replies
I'm no stair specialist...one can join the discussion to help us out!
FWIW...................
That set of steps looks like an inexpensive track house finish package. The "baseboard" is actually casing...looks "tacky"! And the carpet probably covers the raw framing carriage.
If you add 7/16" of flooring to each tread, what will be the rise be at each step...it should be about 7" and consistent at all steps to within a 1/4".
For some reason the pictured steps look steeper than what is best considered at 7" rise/11" run! What is the actual rise/run, and is it consistent in the full run?
Like wise I see no handrail, which is a major safety consideration...even a requirement in areas where code is enforced.
Apron is usually installed beside the stringer as full width boards (un-notched) and the riser and tread boards are scribed to fit at each step, but for your descried application the skirt will be contoured to fit the existing. The gap at the tread can be covered by the added tread material, but how will you cover your sins at the riser.
How will you address the tread nosing if the flooring mfg. does not have such an item in inventory?
More questions than resolution, plus a "bump"!
........................Iron Helix
PS........If you could do the tearout and then post some more pics, it may lend itself a better understanding and descripton of a reasonable fix.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=88680.1
check this out, see if it helps
“The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds..” – Hume
I like the paper pattern thread. I might just do that. And I like the idea of cutting the noses off too. I have no idea what the guy who's gonna put the engineered wood on the stairs is gonna do, my mission is just the skirtboards.
I like the idea of carrying the skirt board around the landing. Might do that.
You hit the nail on the head, this is small footprint tract townhomes.
Still wondering what I'm gonna do with the wall on the inside of the landing turn, though. Might just be a solid piece of wood 12" high. I can't leave the ends of the skirts just hanging out there on either side of the wall.
I noticed Taunton online has some guides to stairbuilding, guess I'll pony up and give it a shot.
re: the inside wall fo the landing turn.
I'd wrap it with 1x to make it look like the bumped out base of a column. Use the skirt on the upper stair run to set your height and then keep the tops level as shown in the pics. Maybe the same motif can be done in the outside corners in regards to the column bases.
As for cutting the skirt, I'd see how difficult it would be to lift the existing treads off and then set the skirt board with no fancy/critical cuts to the walls then shorten/modify the treads to fit, any small errors will be covered by the flooring sub.
Let us see how it looks when your done whichever way you do it.
cheers
For what it's worth (I'm not a stair expert either): couldn't you just plumb cut the end of the skirt at the landing and let the "baseboard" molding butt up to it? (You could also add a plinth block there (removing a piece of the baseboard) or cut the top of the skirt horizontally so the upper corner isn't such a sharp point.) On that corner those little pieces of "baseboard" (molding) look bad--maybe just rectangular plinths there that the skirting meets? Or better, might be to trim that corner with vertical boards going all the way to the ceiling (the boards as wide as the treads are deep). Such boards would also protect that corner. Just some thoughts.
You will have a bald spot by time you are done. That looks like quite a head scratcher!
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I think I'd probably omit the small baseboard, just carry the skirt, as baseboard, around to the next door casing or wherever the small base would not form a visual connection with the skirt-sized base, top and bottom.
Edited 4/22/2007 10:55 am ET by Hudson Valley Carpenter
After you get the carpet up, measure the riser height. Cut a section of plywood this wide and a little longer than a tread. Then tack your skirtboard up in position so that the edge of the board is resting on all of the steps. Place your little piece of plywood on the tread and mark the top. Then place a straightedge against each riser and make a line on the same side as the riser.
George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service
Forgive the crude drawing in the pdf. but why not try this with the skirt around the wall?
I second ChicagoMike's drawing, though I hope he measures and cuts better in real life than he diddles with that program. ;-)
Gee wiz man! I'm a fellow New Yorker! Take it easy. ;) We should try and meet, you seem like someone I could learn a lot from.
<<Gee wiz man! I'm a fellow New Yorker! Take it easy. ;) We should try and meet, you seem like someone I could learn a lot from.>>
Then I've got you fooled too. ;-) Sure we can get together some time. I'm currently away on business for a while. I'll let you know when I'm back and have some free time.
Finished job came out OK, I think. I had the skirts in first so the stair guys could butt up to them. That gave me 1/4" leeway on my cuts, which helped. Then I decided to keep the angles all the same, and use 5/4" stock corner pieces just proud of the skirts at the corners.
Thanks for all the help. The job came out better for it.
Looks good. One point, seems to be a lot of sharp corners to hang a pant leg or a skirt on.
Why not try ....? Well, I will give it a stab. Because it looks . . . unfinished (And for my personal taste, unfinished is being kind , LOL). Molding at the landing and no skirt board on the stairs?
I was trying to draw the skirt going around the landing. I like to curve the skirt up to the second rise. I have seen this detail in older homes. I don't have too much experience with contemporary design. I also have a lot to learn in regards to sketchup.
Geoff. I am assuming that the skirt boards will be paint grade like the rest of the trim.
I do this type of stuff all the time. The drawing that John7q made is pretty close to how I would do it. (actually Chicago mike's drawing was more or less the same, just more along the lines of my own computer skills... hee hee).
I also agree with running the skirt material around the landing. Just make sure you rip it down to 4" or 4-1/2" or it's gonna look way out of proportion.
The spot where you need to terminate it up against the door casing can best be approached by just beveling the part that sticks out past the door casing in order to ease the transition.
When you are done, I always cover all the joints with spackle or wood dough (the kind that gets hard, not putty) and then sand everything down nicely so that the joints all disappear.
I also like to install base cap on top of the skirt boards, but you're probably limited to whatever materials you are being provided with.
One other thing. when they remove the carpet, you'll be able to tell if you can fit the skirt boards between the treads and the drywall. If the treads and risers run all the way to the drywall, then you'll have to notch the skirtboards. If that is indeed the case, come back and tell us and we'll give you some pointers on how to do that as painlessly as possible. It aint easy, but there are some tricks that make it a bit less of a beast.
Good luck!!!
Mark
Edited 4/23/2007 10:01 pm ET by Mark