Transitioning from hardwood floor to basement stairs

[kezug]

I am about to lay my hardwood floor. I have stair nosing for the start of my basement stairs going down. My basement stairs are bare right now (construction grade stairs).

I plan on having carpet on those basement stairs going down.

How should I finish the riser that is underneath the stair nose?
a) the riser is stained oak to match the stairs, making the top step carpet
b) the rise is carpeted
c) it doesnt matter, its whatever I want?

I guess I dont know what the pros would usually do if they were finishing this off?

[stullis]

C) Can be done either way and is your preference but usually the riser is carpeted.

If you are doing a runner on the stairs (wood on the sides of each tread and carpet in the middle) then sometimes it looks better to have the top riser wood. Also have carpeted each tread and all risers were wood.

[kezug]

As always, thanks Stullis.

So should I install the stairnosing all the way to the edge of my underlayment/riser, or should I leave about 1/2" more overhang (past my rounded edge) so that the carpet on the riser has room to be tucked under? Or is this risky as there will be some overhange (past the rounded edge) that is not fully supported, increasing likelihood of cracking?

[stullis]

Install the stairnosing all the way to the edge of my underlayment/riser.

[Steve Olson]

or should I leave about 1/2" more overhang (past my rounded edge)

This part has me stuck. Does your rounded edge overhang the riser? If so, I would think about cutting it off flush. Wouldn't want the new bullnose to affect the width of the tread under it, and affect footing.

[Nick Arrera]

If you have a stair nose that is part of the steps , that should be cut flush to the riser and the new stair molding glued along with a few 16 ga nails with the nose flushed against the riser ..

[kezug]

Ok, I think I have confused everyone. Right now, there is no nosing at all. I am putting in a stair nose at the very top (start) of my stairs that enter down to the basement. Right now, my entire basement stairway is construction stairs.
I plan on carpeting those stairs. Until then, as part of my hardwood install, I will install the stair nosing, flushed to my floor and riser.

[Steve Olson]

I don't think we're confused. Just that we want to make sure, that if the overhang is rounded over, OR overhangs the riser below, that you cut it off, if possible. You want as much of the subfloor in contact with the new nosing as can be had.

[kezug]

Ok, Guys...I dont get how anything is supposed to be "cut off". Here is a pic (blurry, but a pic).

I would think that this is how it should be installed. The carpet on the riser would then butt up to the underside of that little overhang. No???

[Floorguy]

Yes, the carpet on the riser would then butt up to the underside of that little overhang

[stullis]

Looks like you could raise the riser just a bit or add some fill to it to fully support the stairnosing. Make sure it is sitting level as well.

[carmine]

Hi Nick,

Just going through this post as I am looking at stair nosing - so if I currently have an overhang built into the structure of my step, I should be cutting this off flush? What is the reason for that?

Imagine mine looks like the pic posted in this posting, but that the top lip comes out and hangs over an inch to keep it simple.

Thanks.

Nick Arrera said If you have a stair nose that is part of the steps , that should be cut flush to the riser and the new stair molding glued along with a few 16 ga nails with the nose flushed against the riser ..

[Nick Arrera]

the overhang should be cut off like in the above picture
and the riser should be flush with the floor .. one is the new stair nose is only going to cover half of the old nose .. two is you are going to get a more secure stair nose ..

[Floorguy]

You can also build the riser out to meet the nose, but that can throw the stair depth off.

I vote cut the bullnose overhang, off.