Tiling Victoria Floorex
Victoria Stair Installation
Staircases are an important part of many homes and businesses, but many flooring installers shy away from stair installations. For some it is simply a reluctance to do the extra work required to lay flooring on stairs, but for some it is a lack of the skills and knowledge required to do the job right.
At
Tiling Victoria Floorex, we have both the willingness and the expertise to make your staircase look as great as the rest of your floors. Whether you have a half flight of stairs leading down into your family room or a grand staircase that leads to the upper floor of your showroom, our flooring professionals will make sure your stairs are safe, level, and absolutely stunning.
If you are looking to upgrade the floors at your home or business in Victoria, BC, don’t let the fact that you have stairs discourage you. Call us today for a quote on all of your flooring installation needs (including your staircase!).
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What Type of Flooring is Best for Stairs?
There are almost as many options for stair flooring as there are for your living room floor. Often, the best flooring choice for your stairs is the same flooring that you have in the rest of your home. Matching your stairs to the surrounding floor gives your home continuity, but there are a few situations in which it might not be the best choice. Tile, for example, is heavy and can be slippery. Even if the area around the foot of the stairs is tiled, another flooring option might be best for your stairs!
Carpet is one of the most popular choices for staircases in homes. It is very slip resistant and it provides great sound deadening. It can be difficult to vacuum stairs, however, and if no other part of your home is carpeted, it would look a bit strange to have carpeted stairs (though you might consider a carpet stair runner if safety is a concern).
Hardwood is the classic choice for stairs, especially in high traffic situations. It is durable, easy to clean, and gives your staircase an elegant look. Hardwood is expensive, however, and can easily become slippery. You are also sure to hear every footstep on the stairs (unless someone decides to tiptoe upstairs while wearing socks!).
Luxury vinyl plank is another great option for staircase flooring. It is a little more affordable than hardwood and is just as durable and easy to clean. Some vinyl flooring is even slip resistant! It will be just as noisy as hardwood, however, and it is very difficult to remove if you decide to refloor your stairs again in the future.
Ultimately, the best type of flooring for your stairs is the one that fits best with your design and lifestyle. While durability might be the biggest concern in a busy store or restaurant, the quietness and safety of carpet might be more important to a family with young children. Whichever type of flooring you choose, our expert installers are here to make sure it looks its best and lasts as long as it should!
Our Stair Installation Process
While much of the process for installing flooring on stairs is the same as installing that flooring on a level floor, stair installations require several extra considerations and steps. If you are installing hardwood or vinyl planks, you will first need to ensure that stair nosing that matches your flooring choice is available. Some vinyl flooring options have prefabricated stair pieces that are made to fit standard sized stairs, but this will not be a viable option in all cases.
Like any other flooring installation, vinyl and hardwood must be acclimated to the room they are to be installed in for at least two days. During this time, we will prepare your stairway by removing the existing flooring, including any overhang if carpet is not being installed.
Next comes measuring and cutting. One of the reasons that stair installations are so time consuming is the number of cuts that must be made. For vinyl, each stair might require as many as six separate pieces to be cut. The stair tread and riser must then be seamed together before they can be glued to the stairs. The number of cuts required for hardwood will depend on the width of the planks. Underlayment will also need to be cut and installed if it is not built into your vinyl flooring.
Carpet does not require as many individual pieces to be cut, but it does require tack strips to be cut and installed at the back of every stair tread. A separate piece of padding must also be cut for each step.
Once all the prep work is complete, we can begin to install your new flooring. For vinyl or hardwood, we will first glue down the tread on the top step, followed by the riser and the nosing. Once the top step is complete, we will continue down the stairs until we reach the bottom. Please note that most adhesives will need to cure for at least 12 hours before you can walk on them. If your bedroom is upstairs, be sure to plan where you will sleep while your stairs dry!
Carpet is generally stapled to stairs, so you can walk on it as soon as it is installed. For carpet, we generally start at the bottom step and work our way upwards, stretching the carpet on each step as we go so it fits snugly into the crevices both between steps and underneath the overhang. Once the carpet is stretched and secured, we will trim any excess from its edges.
Whatever type of flooring you choose for your stairs, you can trust our professional flooring installers to complete the job as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. From massive commercial walkways to antique spiral staircases, our installers have the expertise to make your stairs look their very best. If you need flooring installed on a stairway in Victoria, BC, give us a call today!