How to install stair mop board with existing stairs and carpet?
The task I face that I need help on is this: We have some stairs that have a wall part way down, then open up for 5 steps on one side. The open part had handrail with posts, but they now want that torn out and replaced with a half wall. The stairs are carpeted, and were wrapped around the ends of the treads on the outside, with the posts inset.
So it’s not that hard to tear out the handrail, cut back the carpet and frame the wall, sheetrock, etc. BUT I need to continue the mop board down the rest of the new wall, and I would really like to have it fit nicely against the existing carpet.
The stairs are carpeted in pieces, one per stair, with a tack strip on the top of the step at the inside, then wrapped over the tread, stapled, then hung down and stapled.
What I’m stuck on is how to get that board in there and have the carpet meet right up to it. It’s almost a chicken/egg problem, in that if I had the board all cut perfectly, I could lay it on the carpet for a template and cut the carpet — but I need to have the carpet gone before I can cut the board to fit right. I have partially cut away the carpet, but there’s another 2 inches or so to go yet. I needed to get what was on the ends gone so I could cut them flush (which is done).
So if this was YOUR problem, how would you imagine you’d handle it?
I’ve got a picture here that shows the wall that we’ll be extending, plus the mop board that will be extended.
Replies
I made a template that wraps around the stair treads as a guide to cut the carpet. I cut the carpet with a carpet "knife' - the kind the carpet layers use, with two sharp edges that is always threatening to slice your hand. I cut it wide enough to install the sheetrock but left 3/4" for a final cut.
Before I installed the rock, I made another template of the stairs in pine, an exact mop board that I can use for a template when I'm ready to cut the good wood. It also came in very handy to cut the sheetrock for that side of the wall.
I figure if I put my cutting template (also 3/4" wood) on the steps and just be very very careful in cutting the carpet, I'll be OK.
There are still two points I'm wrestling with:
1. How much carpet to cut? The mop board existing is 1" thick, 3/4 plus 1/4" backer. I'll duplicate that. I was thinking of only cutting 3/4" carpet and leaving some to "butt into" but I'm not sure how much to leave.
2. I have to cut off the stair nose where the carpet is cut -- but actually a little MORE of the stair nose, to get the mop board in. How am I gonna cut the wood under the carpet?
A carpet guy would have no trouble peeling up the carpet, doing whatever, and then putting it back. A little harder without the skills/tools, I suppose.