Hi,

I want to put in 5/8" solid wood flooring in my upstairs loft area. I
would like to leave the carpeting on the stairs and need to transition
the wood at the top of the stairs. I used a wood transition downstairs
for the transitions into the carpeted closets but this type of
transition seems to be a little too high to be comfortable at the top
of stairs.
Is there a more comfortable way to transition? Normally, I suppose I
could add a strip of similar wood that is sloped or ripped at a more
comfortable angle. The only problem is that the floor is carbonized
bamboo so its kind of hard to match. Does anyone have ay other ideas?

Thanks, Chris

Stupid48 wrote:

I want to put in 5/8" solid wood flooring in my upstairs loft area. I
would like to leave the carpeting on the stairs and need to transition
the wood at the top of the stairs. I used a wood transition downstairs
for the transitions into the carpeted closets but this type of
transition seems to be a little too high to be comfortable at the top
of stairs.
Is there a more comfortable way to transition? Normally, I suppose I
could add a strip of similar wood that is sloped or ripped at a more
comfortable angle. The only problem is that the floor is carbonized
bamboo so its kind of hard to match. Does anyone have ay other ideas?

There are certain things that shouldn't be done with stairs as the
modifications present a hazard to life and limb. One of thes things is
having stair risers of varying heights due to added or changed floor
coverings. Obviously this happens at the top and bottom of the flight.
Code dictates how much variation in riser height is allowable. The
transition strip would have to be no more than 3/8" high, if memory
serves, to meet code (assuming that the other risers are uniform in
height). A person walking up/down a flight of stairs is acting pretty
much in reflex. Unconscious action. The first couple of steps up the
staircase and the body/brain has figured out a rhythm for that set of
stairs. Changing that rhythm can easily trip someone up and send them
tumbling. Your family and friends, your house, injury - bad combo.

Using your measurement of 5/8" and assuming that the existing loft has
either no existing floor covering or the 5/8" represents the net
difference in thickness between the wood flooring and the existing
non-specified floor covering. I would consider pulling the carpeting
on the top several steps and adding progressively thicker layers of
masonite 1/8" on the fourth one down, 1/4" on the third, etc. You'd be
gradually increasing the height of several treads and the transition at
the top of the stairs would be less abrupt.

Simple to do, cheap, complies with code assuming the existing stairs
do, you should use longer fasteners for the tack strips, pay attention
to the nosings when you're installing the masonite. Make it so.

R

Thanks very much. I never would've thunk it Very good point. I
think I will just take the carpet off the stairs and install wood on
the stairs as well....

RicodJour wrote:
Stupid48 wrote:

I want to put in 5/8" solid wood flooring in my upstairs loft area. I
would like to leave the carpeting on the stairs and need to transition
the wood at the top of the stairs. I used a wood transition downstairs
for the transitions into the carpeted closets but this type of
transition seems to be a little too high to be comfortable at the top
of stairs.
Is there a more comfortable way to transition? Normally, I suppose I
could add a strip of similar wood that is sloped or ripped at a more
comfortable angle. The only problem is that the floor is carbonized
bamboo so its kind of hard to match. Does anyone have ay other ideas?

There are certain things that shouldn't be done with stairs as the
modifications present a hazard to life and limb. One of thes things is
having stair risers of varying heights due to added or changed floor
coverings. Obviously this happens at the top and bottom of the flight.
Code dictates how much variation in riser height is allowable. The
transition strip would have to be no more than 3/8" high, if memory
serves, to meet code (assuming that the other risers are uniform in
height). A person walking up/down a flight of stairs is acting pretty
much in reflex. Unconscious action. The first couple of steps up the
staircase and the body/brain has figured out a rhythm for that set of
stairs. Changing that rhythm can easily trip someone up and send them
tumbling. Your family and friends, your house, injury - bad combo.

Using your measurement of 5/8" and assuming that the existing loft has
either no existing floor covering or the 5/8" represents the net
difference in thickness between the wood flooring and the existing
non-specified floor covering. I would consider pulling the carpeting
on the top several steps and adding progressively thicker layers of
masonite 1/8" on the fourth one down, 1/4" on the third, etc. You'd be
gradually increasing the height of several treads and the transition at
the top of the stairs would be less abrupt.

Simple to do, cheap, complies with code assuming the existing stairs
do, you should use longer fasteners for the tack strips, pay attention
to the nosings when you're installing the masonite. Make it so.

R

Using your measurement of 5/8" and assuming that the existing loft has
either no existing floor covering or the 5/8" represents the net
difference in thickness between the wood flooring and the existing
non-specified floor covering. I would consider pulling the carpeting
on the top several steps and adding progressively thicker layers of
masonite 1/8" on the fourth one down, 1/4" on the third, etc. You'd be
gradually increasing the height of several treads and the transition at
the top of the stairs would be less abrupt.

Simple to do, cheap, complies with code assuming the existing stairs
do, you should use longer fasteners for the tack strips, pay attention
to the nosings when you're installing the masonite. Make it so.

Actually, I don't think the gradual transition you describe DOES
comply with code. One of the numbers in the code is an upper
limit of the greatest allowable variation between ANY rises in
the stairway, it doesn't just apply to adjacent steps.

What OP needs is a landing at the top and bottom of the stairs
that has the same covering or lack thereof as the stairs,
and make the transition between the landing and the rest of the
floor, rather than between the landing and the steps.