How to Laminate theTop Stairs
Laminate flooring entails more than just laying planks for your floor -- you also need to install the proper trim and molding pieces in various areas to finish the look and blend different areas together. The piece of molding used to blend your laminate flooring into a stairway is called stair nose. One of the most important things to remember, when using stair nose, is to start with the stairs -- not finish with them. You don't always have to use a stair nose although this molding complements the floor and gives it a more finished look. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Measure and cut the stair nose to the appropriate length for the top of the stair with a miter, table or circular saw. The saw you are using to cut your laminate is ideal.
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2
Measure and cut a piece of laminate to fit on the stair riser if you have risers and not open-backed stairs. This piece of laminate should sit flush with the subfloor of the step above it. If the laminate flooring has attached underlayment or fabric of some kind, remove it.
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3
Install the laminate onto the riser with construction adhesive.
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4
Install the stair nose trim onto the top step with a thick, generous bead of construction adhesive applied in a serpentine pattern and press it into place.
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5
Attach the tongue of the first piece of laminate into the groove of the stair nose then begin installing the flooring.
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Tips & Warnings
If you choose not to use stair nose, simply install the riser as noted in Steps 2 and 3 then install a laminate plank to the top of the stair and make it flush with the riser. This works best if you're using a glue-down system; with tongue-and-groove flooring you will need to cut off the tongue of the plank and get creative to make it look right.
References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images
