Install wood laminate floors stairs

The stair overhang may need to be removed. You will also reveal tons of staples that were used when the carpet was first installed. You might also find extremely warped or loose treads. You will need to remove all staples and any other debris from the steps. Check and make sure all the treads are flat.

If not, you may be able to resolve this problem using screws. An alternative would be to sand high spots with a belt sander. Likewise, can you nail laminate flooring on stairs? Installing laminate flooring on stairs is definitely one time you won't use do it as a floating- floor system, so don't use underlayment. You will need to glue and screw or nail the laminate down to the stairs themselves.

If you are looking at carpet flooring for your stairs, choose a one with a short or loop pile such as Berber carpeting. Another durable option is ceramic or natural stone tile. Thanks to its performance and style, one of the most popular choices for stairs is hardwood flooring. Start by sweeping the stairs and cleaning up any shavings or dust.

You'll need a clean surface for the glue to adhere properly to the concrete and laminate. Once the area is clean, start with the risers first. Measure, mark and cut each laminate plank to fit the riser with the groove side facing downwards. Lay the tread. The first part of the stair you need to install is the tread piece. Install risers.

Measuring the riser length is simple. Measure from the bottom to the top of the step and you have your riser width. The tread will sit flush up against your riser, so subtract the thickness of the riser from the width of the tread. The laminate stair nosing will fit against the tread edge and be glued and screwed to the subfloor. Nose size depends on the manufacturer. They either sit on top of the tread and lip over the riser, or they are flush with the tread and sit on top of the riser.

Remove that amount from the length of your tread as well. Time to make your cuts. If you are sure your stairs are of uniform width and length down, you can go ahead and make all your cuts ahead of time.

Before you cut your treads, take a look at your nosing. If the nosing has a groove, then it will sit in the tongue of the tread, so make sure you do not cut off the tongue of your tread when cutting it to width. Assuming your stairs are of uniform size, cut your treads first. Accounting for your riser thickness and nosing width, start by cutting your treads to width. You can rent one, which is a cost, or you can simply use a miter saw, which most people do have. I use a fine-toothed blade for finishing cuts, which ensures a smooth cut without any tear-out.

Cutting risers is just the same as cutting the treads — cut them to width first and then to length. Remember to cut off the tongue end of the laminate risers. You want a flat top edge for your nosing to fit either on top of or over.

The bottom of your riser should be the groove — if you leave the tongue on the bottom of your riser, you risk having part of the tongue exposed. Cut them to the same length as your treads and risers. Otherwise, use a finish hand saw and cut carefully. Install your treads and risers. Start at the top of your steps and begin with the first riser. You are going to glue the riser in place using construction adhesive.

Before you do that, however, you are going to score all of your treads and risers with a utility knife. This will improve the adhesion between the laminate and subfloor. You are also going to nail or screw your treads and risers to your subfloor.

You can do this in a couple of ways. I have a cordless finishing nailer that leaves a very small indentation in the planks. If you choose to nail, drill pilot holes first to help you drive the nails easily. Make sure every laminate plank has a few nails or screws in it, on either side. You can cover up the nails or screws with wood filler later to match the color of your laminate.

No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Order your laminate flooring. Laminate flooring can be installed on stairs, or anywhere else that you would install hardwood flooring.

The major issue with installing laminate flooring on stairs is durability - stairs tend to get more wear-and-tear than most other surfaces in your home.

For this reason, it is advisable to ask the supplier or manufacturer for the most hard-wearing laminate they have. To minimize the risk of slipperiness, go for laminate flooring with a textured, matte finish. You should also specify that you want matching nose stripping when choosing your laminate, as many manufacturers do not have matching nose stripping for all of their flooring. This is necessary as you may need to cut a number of boards to fill in extra spaces.

It will also allow you a comfortable margin for potential errors. Allow the flooring to acclimate. Laminate flooring needs time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the house before it is installed. This prevents the boards from warping, expanding or contracting later. To acclimate your flooring, remove the boards from their packaging and stack them in an open space, where air can circulate, for 48 hours.

Remove any carpet and tackstrip. The next thing you will need to do is prepare your staircase for laying down the laminate. If you need to remove carpet from the stairs, you can pull it up using a pair of pliers. Carpet is normally attached using adhesive tack strip, staples or both. The tack strip can be removed using a pry bar, while the staples can either be hammered back in place, or removed using a scraper.

Even if the stairs were not covered in carpeting, you can prepare them by removing any old paint or adhesive and repairing any loose or creaking steps by nailing them securely in place. You will also need to make sure each of the steps is level, so the laminate boards will sit properly. If they are uneven, you can use a belt sander to level them out, or simply use a scraper to get rid of any debris or high spots.

Remove any overhang. Many stairs will have a pre-existing overhang: this is when the underside of the nosing on the upper steps is visible from the bottom of the staircase. You will need to address this before you can lay the laminate flooring.

You can do this in one of two ways: [4] X Research source You can either cut off the overhang using a reciprocating or jigsaw, then use a chisel to ensure the surface is flush with the riser.