How do I attach a stair nosing at the edge of hardwood flooring when the floor boards will be perpendicular?

I'm installing maple hardwood (3/4") flooring that is perpendicular to the floor joists. As it happens, the flooring is also perpendicular to the sta...


I’m installing maple hardwood (3/4″) flooring that is perpendicular to the floor joists. As it happens, the flooring is also perpendicular to the stairs. How do I attach a nosing to the perpendicular flooring?
I'm not talking about the actual steps – they shouldn't be a problem. I'm talking about the flooring at the edge of the main floor that leads to steps going down. Any ideas?

You should run the flooring on the steps along the long dimension. It's not only easier to install, it's much stronger. That also makes it easier to install the nosing. If you have to run it the short way, use tongue and groove, and mate the pieces together. One warning, though, you will have a lot of waste. Hope this helps.

EDIT: If you can, snap a line on the floor and cut your pieces exactly to the line. Then you can butt the nosing up to the boards on the floor. It would be best if you can run the pieces through a router or table saw to get a tongue and groove on them, though, or use a piece of nosing that is slightly thicker than the flooring and hollow out the back side to cover the ends of the boards. Good luck.

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2 Responses to “How do I attach a stair nosing at the edge of hardwood flooring when the floor boards will be perpendicular?”

  1. woodtick314 says:

    You should run the flooring on the steps along the long dimension. It's not only easier to install, it's much stronger. That also makes it easier to install the nosing. If you have to run it the short way, use tongue and groove, and mate the pieces together. One warning, though, you will have a lot of waste. Hope this helps.

    EDIT: If you can, snap a line on the floor and cut your pieces exactly to the line. Then you can butt the nosing up to the boards on the floor. It would be best if you can run the pieces through a router or table saw to get a tongue and groove on them, though, or use a piece of nosing that is slightly thicker than the flooring and hollow out the back side to cover the ends of the boards. Good luck.
    References :
    Carpenter

  2. rob s says:

    You lay a piece of regular hardwood perpendicular to the wood and parallel with where the nosing is. set this piece back so the nosing will tie into that piece. Now you may need to put a spline either piece so that they all tie in together.. Some construction adv under the nosing along w/ some top nails( filled later) is suggested. Don t forget to cut you sub floor over hang back flush w/ riser. That way the nosing can over hand and you won t be creating a trip hazard on a step .. Any questions e mail me
    References :
    20 years in flooring as store owner/ installer

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