When a multi-story new home is being constructed will the plans indicate whether the interior stairs will have hardwood treads or be fully carpeted? If so, will the hardwood treads be attached directly to the stair stringers and subtreads be installed for carpeting? Or might subtreads be installed in either case?
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Replies
Hey JIM,
I am not sure people here know much about stairs as I have had a similar question out there for a couple of days now withoout a response. I know at one time there were a couple of masterful stair builders visiting the board.
I don't know, but I can not see how a house plan to be given to a builder could not state what kind of stairs were to be build.
That said and as far as your other questions, my research has found:
A stairs meant to not have carpet could have teh hardwood treads and risers attached directly to the stringers OR set on top of a subtread. I think there is an issue of preference here by stair builders and perhaps teh practical issue of having a functional stair during construction ie with subtreads in place (then treads added on top rather than removed). I think eihter way.
If a carpet is to be run up the stairs with FALSE treads and risers along the sides of the carpet, then you need a subtread. Which brings me to my question which is what does teh nosing look like for those subtreads. In this case teh subtread needs to extend out LESS than the showy side false treads and I would think need to be thinner in order to avoid seeing the carpet edge as it goes under the nosing.
I will not hi-jack your thread here by specifically asking my question here, but...
Good Luck and hopefully a stair builder will happen by for both of us.
Stair Treads
Thank You for your input which makes a good point about a question that I asked my town building inspector and also came up in conversation with a lumber yard guy. What are the stringer dimensions supposed to be if you don't know what the finshed surface is going to be? Is there enough code variance wiggle room to accomodate any finished flooring thickness?
My house has wall-to-wall carpeting, including the stairs. I've replaced the flooring carpet with hardwood and am in the process of pre-finishing the hardwood treads and risers for the stairs. I've read up on how to do the stairs as well as the building code concerning tread width, riser height, nosing overhang, etc. The plywood subtread width under the carpet is 10 1/2" wide, the plywood riser height is 7 3/4" and the tread overhang is 1 1/2". Any height variations are within code limits. Per the building inspector the carpeting is considered to be the same thickness as the 3/4" thick tread that I will install on top of the plywood subtread. I will cut off the nosing overhang of the plywood subtread, veneer over the plywood riser, install a 10 1/2" solid tread, and install scotia molding under the new tread overhang. Your point about installing the subtreads to make a walkable stairway makes sense to me. If they installed temporary treads in anticipation of replacing with a solid finish tread would that make a difference in stringer dimensions?
Jim
You'll find a couple different answers to the question, some tradesman variation as well as regional technique.
Here, stringers are cut -hopefully with finish in mind-both floors and stair-which sometimes turns out right. I've had the pleasure of following framing that for the life of me, I can't figure out if they had an idea of the finish or not..............nothing made sense.
In most cases the fully carpeted treads are either part. bd. nosed treads or dimensional lumber that may or may not have been eased on the nose.
Never have been a part of a partial finished tread with flush carpet runner. Most runners are bound on the edge and run over finished treads.
Hardwood stairs should be either spec'd and fine tuned b/4 framing or it's a smart bet to remove the temp treads and stringers and start over. Too much time is wasted trying to make a nice finish out of an irregular poorly build carcass.
I prefer to screw the risers to the backs of the treads, so open framed stringers would be my preference.
No there is not ...
NO there is not "enough code variation" to accomdate floor finishings.
First off, when you build ANY rough framed stairs set on the subfloor you must add something to the first riser to account for teh carpet on the floor in front of the first step or teh tile, etc. It is likely that if you assume 3/4 inche for this flooring it will work in any case. But if you intent to add a finished tread to a roughed in stairs build without this in mind you will have a problem.
I am not sure I am following what you are doing, but if you are removing carpet from teh floor in front of the stairs adn off of the stairs and replacing both areas with 3/4" treads, it seems like all will comoe out ok. Should be easy for you to tell.
However, I thick alot of treads are 1 1/8 inches thick. That could be a problem. Or I am in error and teh typical tread is 3/4 inch with a 1 1/8 nosing only. If yo uhave your treads you will be able to tell.
Stair Treads
Building Inspector gave me the ok to replace carpet with 3/4" solid tread on top of subtread. He said that they consider wall to wall carpeting to be the same thickness as 3/4" stair tread. The first floor landing is slate. The rise from the slate to carpeting will have a rise close enough to a rise from the slate to hardwood 3/4" tread to be within code allowance. My carpeting is deep pile and the padding is quite thick. When I was doing the room flooring I had to pull up the carpeting in sections so at times the new 3/4" flooring abutted the carpet and was at the same height. All will be code compliant per building inspector. I wondered what dimensions were initially used if the finished floor was unknown and the inspector told me I was overthinking everything.
In a wrd ,yes no and sometimes!
Flooriing finishes are usually called out on a good plan.
When and how hardwood treads are added is usually job specific . We have in fact built simple accesss stairs to get us through until decisions were made, or shop built stairs were delivered.
With different thickness finish materials, on the floor and stairs, adjustments are needed in the rough framing of the stairs. When you add a radiant heat system that adds even more math to the process. :) you could write a book and not cover it all:)
The stairs pictured were framed with temporary treads that were removed and discarded at final trim stage. two and a half weeks to frame uper and lower hybrid spirals, interior trim carpenter ,with a crew of three, spent nearly two months finishing these.
Jim
Stair Building
Thank You. Beautiful stairs. What does the rest of the house look like?
Stair Building
We saw the 'Miraculous' staircase in Santa Fe, NM and my wife thought we should have stairs like that but I can't find plans anywhere. Any idea where I could find the plans? I fugure it would take longer to build those stairs than a house so it's right in line with your response.