# laminate floors @ stairs



## wes127

I have a split level seperated by 3 stairs where I am installing laminate wood flooring on each level.  Can the laminate be used on the stairs or do the stairs have to be hardwood?

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks.


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## HandyMac

Stairs have a higher load than floors due to a smaller area and generally less secure under structure than a floor---so stair treads have a tendency to have more noise problems than flooring.

Plus the difficulty in edge banding the three treads and the top landing.

It should not be too difficult to come up with a color/texture match---or go with a different color/texture that accents  the stairway---mabe of solid wood.


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## Floor King Designs Inc.

wes127 said:
			
		

> I have a split level seperated by 3 stairs where I am installing laminate wood flooring on each level.  Can the laminate be used on the stairs or do the stairs have to be hardwood?
> 
> I would appreciate any advice.
> 
> Thanks.



Laminate can be used on stairs.  Not a problem.  It's all in the quality of your laminate that will depend on how they will hold up.  Stairs can be easy to do except for all the cutting thats involved.  If your planks are as wide as your stairs, great, otherwise cut the boards so that the seam is in the middle of the stair. Cut off all tongue or grooves not being used so that the boards sit flush against the kick and the edge of the stair.  You don't need underlay for stairs.  As long as the boards have been properly acclimatized you shouldnt have any problem.  Glue your laminate directly to the stair.  Do the same for the kick plate of the stairs.  Yes the corners and edges will look unfinished but thats when you can use the real hardwood (if you want, they have laminate trim too).  Purchase laminate or hardwood stair-trim for the edges of the stairs and quarter-round for the back of the stairs. Cut and glue these items into place. I do have pictures of completed stairwells if you would like to see them.  Please email me at [email protected] .


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## joecaption

Never in a millon years would I ever use laminite flooring on a set of stairs.
#1 It has to have room to expand and contract. (there's a reason why they call it floating flooring)
#2 How are you going to finish off the edges.
#3  It's to slippery.
Armstrong came out with a stair kit long ago with a nose piece to cover up the ends of the flooring. The trouble is the nosing was just a peel and stick covering and there was a 90 deg. under cut which over time breaks off.
Use something like this instead.
Stair Treads & Risers


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## nealtw

I have seen this done, just crap to walk on, spend the money on real wood here like Joe suggested.


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