Do you need a Stair Skirtboard? Attach the stringers to the rim joist at the staircase's top end and to the kickboard at the bottom end. 4 - Prime and Paint. Stairs built like this look wonderful, but it's a lot of extra work. Squeaks occur when a tread moves and rubs on one of the fasteners or another part of the stair. I think the smaller ones can be caulked but I'm looking for suggestions on the wider gaps. Measure the width of the stair tread where it meets the riser. Smooth and flatten the bead using a wet. Remove nails, wood splinters, paint chips, or glue from the lower and upper sides; finish with a blast of compressed air. Rim Joist A joist on either side or the end of the deck. e) At nosing, joint gap shall be a maximum of .8 mm [.031"]. Because traditional wood primarily expands along its width and there is little risk of buckling at butt joints, it does not require a gap between the ends of the boards.. As you'll recall, TimberTech capped polymer and capped composite decking expands and . I put a slight back angle on each end so there is no gap between the riser and the skirt board. Cut the tip off of a tube of colored silicone with a utility knife. It can also add to the moisture levels and impede the deck's drying process which, in . Leave Gap: If the pressure treated wood has been kiln dried after treatment (KDAT), leave a 1/8" gap (the thickness of an 8-penny nail) between the boards when attaching, since the wood will expand slightly over time. 4. c) Treads and risers that are mortised into stringers shall be securely attached with wedges, glue, and/or mechanical fasteners. 2-7 Measuring and cutting the wall skirt. (Be prepared to damage the skirt board while doing this. You're now ready to pull the stairs back together using 3/8 threaded rod, carriage bolts, and threaded couplings. This means that, along each edge, it might shrink or expand 1/16" inch. 4. Holding the compass square with the point against the skirt, draw the line across the face of the tread. I was going to put a nice piece of oak skirt board as a finish piece but it only comes 3/4" thick and would be too much work to modify the already existing stairs. From below it appears that the skirt board has pulled away from the treads over time. Tack the skirt board into place. Stairs need to be a minimum of 36-inches clear width (R311.7.1) above the height of the handrails and have headroom of 6'-8" (R311.7.2). If I'm building stairs from scratch, and I attach a 2x4 on the outside of the stringers, that leaves 1 1/2" in between stringers and framing wall studs. Ornamental Molding or Trimming. EDIT: the new headline says "boring," but in fact the risers were nothing but. If you remember the last time we talked "stairs", we were left with these huge gaps on the side of each stair- ugh! Backer rod just falls through. Lay a staircase stringer onto a length of 1-by-12-inch lumber, which becomes one of your star skirts. It comes in different sizes, but for most stair tread gaps, 1/4- by 1/4-inch works just fine. A cartridge (or tube) is placed in a caulking gun and applied in a continuous bead along the gap. Set a scrap piece of one-by-12 board against the bottom three steps, touching the floor. Another benefit to proper deck board spacing is that the spaces help make it easier to sweep away debris from the surface of the decking. Now holding that in place, I look to the left and move the square to the 9" mark so the inside 9" mark is at the top of the skirt board because my stair treads measured out to 9". It can also add to the moisture levels and impede the deck's drying process which, in . Check to see how the risers fit against the skirt board, as this is a good opportunity to tighten them up. I was concerned that if I just caulk it will be very noticeable due to the gap. 1. The caulk is do. A quick sanding and some touch-up paint should fix it after the treads have all been replaced.) See chart at left. Staircases are made from wood, stone, concrete, steel, glass, plastic, vinyl, or combinations of different materials. Nov 16, 2017 (Edited) You install the treads and risers after you install the skirt boards, the treads and risers go all the way to the skirt, no gap. Make sure it is full dry before attempting to apply caulk. So from this distance, use a level to mark a straight line vertically near the bottom end of the skirt board. Squeeze a bead of silicone along the gap. Ledger Board A beam supporting one end of the joists. In my opinion a wood strip should have be screwed to the stringer and then the skirt board placed on top, floating, and then nailed to the wall. Scratched, gouged, would have been a challenge to refinish or paint.Looks like HomeTalk has reformatted things, so my explanatory text has gone away. The skirt boards were notched around the stairs at some point leaving 1/4"-1/2" gaps. The size of the skirting board varies. Both the risers and the treads fit into these slots, and then wedges are used to hold them in. When dry fitting the treads against the skirt board there is an uneven gap between the end of the tread and the face of the skirt board on every step, it varies between 1/16" and 1/8" depending on which step you are looking at. Miter riser cut on skirt Mark run cuts on wall skirt Wall skirt 3. Use a hammer to gently tap the blade of a bolster chisel between the skirting board and the wall. Tape off a line above the moulding. Typical stair skirtboard size is 9-1/2" wide and a minimum of 5/8 thick. A functional board that provides safety on a staircase by bridging the gap between stair treads. The most common reason why skirt boards are installed is simply aesthetics. d) At open mortised (wedged) stringers, tread/riser/stringer joint gap shall be a maximum of .4 mm [.016"]. The vertical board nailed to a stringer. Place weights on the carpet for 2 to 3 hours. See chart at left. How do you slove this 1/4" gap? Apply a coat of carpet adhesive to the stair treads and put the carpet on the tread. The skirt should be at least -1 inch above the stair nosing. I'd say the gap on the right is a little over 1/4 inch and the one on the left is just about 1/4 inch. Use with utility treads and cover with carpet or choose a veneer or paintable riser to add panache and revitalize a plain staircase. Set a compass just wider than the widest gap. Hold the gun forward at a diagonal angle. Then prime and paint the moulding along with the wall below the moulding. e) At nosing, joint gap shall be a maximum of .8 mm [.031]. To set a tread properly it just takes a few shims, a lot of construction adhesive, and some trim head screws. 3/4" x 5 1/4 . Fig. The same is true for the adjacent . This video shows how to seal/ caulk narrow and tiny gap space between wall floor stairs and wall after installing new stairs using silicon. Sand off the smashed strip using 100-grit sandpaper on a hand block. However, you need to meet the minimum size requirement. I have a 5/8" to 1" gap betwen the stair tread and the wall going down to the basement. Press the tip of the tube against the joint at one end of the first stair where it meets the wall, at the highest point where it meets the wall. A major factor in deck board spacing is the size of the board. Then, starting at the bottom, install the first riser. End-to-End/End-to-Width Gap Trex decking end-to-end, based upon the temperature at installation. It creates a smoother changeover across various surfaces in many homes. Wear safety glasses, gloves, a dust mask and long sleeves, This gap is usually either 3/4" or 1/2" in width. May have stairs attached and typically opposite of the ledger board. the far right side of the skirt board, find 7" on the inside of the square, and put the 7" mark at the right side top corner of the skirt. There is already a skirt on both sides of the stairs as well. doesn't that leave a 1/4" gap in between the skirt board and the stringer/stairs/treads? One of the most common substitutes for a stair skirt board is ornamental molding or trimming. Pan-head Screw Self-tapping screw with W-cut design and slightly rounded head. Riser-to-Tread Gap Place the cove molding face up across two sawhorses. It is used to fill the gap in between the stairs and the wall as to prevent small items from getting into the gap, and for aesthetic reasons as well. You can choose to make the skirting wider or thicker if you wish. 2. The size of the skirting board varies. No Gap: If the pressure treated wood hasn't been dried and is still wet with preservative, butt the deck boards together . Place the side of the scribe stick, nearest the brad, against the lowest tread, blunt edge on the floor . Apply colored silicone caulking to stringer gaps. If you have access underneath, the best option is to rout tapered slots into the skirtboard. Install carpeting on stairs to hide small gaps between the tread and stringer or riser. If you're painting the skirt, I'd go with caulking on the tread to a masked line. How to find the angles. 5 Trerx.comet1x-.8m1e SAFETY When working on any construction project, you should wear protective clothing and safety equipment. Apply A Line Of Caulk. Price shown is per piece ; Product Dimensions: 3/4In x 7 1/2In x 42In ; The vertical board that fits between each . Floor Cap. birch plywood risers get attached to the back edge of each tread with yellow glue and brad nails. They are tight fitting at the bullnose of the steps but then as you get farther back to the riser there is a wedge-shaped gap. Bullnose molding has a rounded front, with a 90-degree back that fits tight into corners. Inject white wood glue into the crack using the tip of a glue bottle. 2. I plan to remove the treads and do it over. The required width-to-width gapping is 6 mm. It should fill the gap and protrude up about 1/8 inch. Treads and rises are most often fixed after the stair skirtboard is fixed in place. Installing the second riser then risked opening the joint at the first tread, and so on up the stairway. Place the strips on the cracked stairs. I have seen people handle theses gaps in a number of ways. Make sure it is full dry before attempting to apply caulk. If it was the least bit long, it pushed the skirtboard, opening the joint below between the riser and the skirt. Compress the trigger and begin pulling the gun slowly backward along the joint, creating a thin, smooth line of caulk. You can choose to make the skirting wider or thicker if you wish. Shimming behind the skirt board doesn't solve the problem. The caulk is done using a ProCaulk rubber tool that easy. 10. Makes for Easier Cleaning. How to handle diffic. The more uniform the lifts or risers, the easier it is to traverse. 3. If you're filling gaps between the wall and existing skirting boards, use a damp cloth to clean the area. It doesn't appear there's a skirtboard in your photo. A wall-side skirt board or kick board is the part of the staircase placed in between the wall and the treads. Staircases are made from wood, stone, concrete, steel, glass, plastic, vinyl, or combinations of different materials. Use the block plane to adjust the fit of the tread against the closed-side skirt, until the fit is perfect. This video shows how to seal/ caulk narrow and tiny gap space between wall floor stairs and wall after installing new stairs using silicon. A skirt board is installed to the finished wall (sheet rock, paneling, etc.) Setting the first riser was simple enough scribe, cut and nail in place. Slide the prybar further underneath the tread and carefully pry it off the stairs. End-to-end spacing between deck boards refers to the spacing if any between two board ends that meet, called a butt joint. You need an accurately measured uniform gap between the drywall and the stairs for installing a skirt board. How to Fix Cracks in Wood Stairs Place the oak board behind the blade on a jigsaw. Then use shims between the wall and the skirtboard to lessen the gap between it and the tread. board for the skirt board. Remove the skirt board and lay it on a bench to readjust the marks. Cut the tread along the line. Sand the step thoroughly after patching all the cracks. However, the standard size is a minimum of 9.5 inches wide and inches thick. Next, counterbore a hole large enough to accept . You may be looking at sub-treads, like a sub-floor; these are often made of plywood and they're not great for walking on directly. The skirt should be at least -1 inch above the stair nosing. 3. He cut them all the same size so there are gaps between the treads and skirt board. Fitting the Tread to the Closed Skirt. Hold the skirt board against the wall in the same position it will be mounted. One that sticks out in my mind is covering it with moldings and sort of wrapping the molding around the stair . Square cut the lines on the skirt. Start by drilling a 3/8 hole in a block of hardwood. Makes for Easier Cleaning. If you're filling gaps between the wall and existing skirting boards, use a damp cloth to clean the area. Advertisement. I use PL1 framing glue and my 15 gauge finish nailer. Briefly: --measure risers' width and height--pick up a border to come close in height, in sufficient length to do . In this video we tackle how to install stair skirt boards. d) At open mortised (wedged) stringers, tread/riser/stringer joint gap shall be a maximum of .4 mm [.016]. Using a two-foot level, scribe a line plumb with each riser. Also Know, what to use to fill gaps in stairs? They now want us to paint the risers and skirt boards. Using the caulk gun and the decorator's caulk, apply a line of caulk along the area you want to fill (in this case, a small gap between the wall and the . Abutting Solid Objects When decking is abutting a wall, you must also gap it 613 mm depending on the temperature at installation. If you caulk every tread the same it might not look too bad. How to take measurements and layout the skirt boards. After that the scribing is just a straight-edge set against the face of the riser and a line drawn parallel from the top of the tread with a scrap of wood. Shimming behind the skirt board doesn't solve the problem. Save Reply A abernat Registered Joined Nov 16, 2017 2 Posts The dimensions should be no less than 9-1/2" wide because the skirt must sit at least 1-1/2" above the nosing of the stairs. Once everything is painted the same color, if will give the effect of being a solid piece of solid wood trim. Make the cut 1/8-inch from the top at a 30-degree angle. Then the treads and risers should have been measured and cut individually. 2. Using the caulk gun and the decorator's caulk, apply a line of caulk along the area you want to fill (in this case, a small gap between the wall and the . If you want to pursue this, it's typically done with a router and a template. This DIY stair trim project was part of a larger project - Re-Finishing and Painting our Stairs. It won't gain you much, but it might buy you a little. (2) install skirtboard, cut treads and risers to butt tightly against skirtboard. Level across each tread and scribe a line on the skirt. The easiest and most used product to fill each gap would be a latex caulking. However, you need to meet the minimum size requirement. The wider the deck board, the more it's going to expand and contract. What we claim is: 1. How to Cut & Install Stair Skirts. once the open side of the stair has been finished. 2-7 here. Each part is made from superior lumber, helping you maintain quality throughout your home. When dry fitting the treads against the skirt board there is an uneven gap between the end of the tread and the face of the skirt board on every step, it varies between 1/16" and 1/8" depending on which step you are looking at. While debris may not seem like a big deal, it will take away from the aesthetic of your deck. By the way, I will make a thread of your own, that way more members will see your thread. The skirt cutting is then all straight forward without coping around any nosing details. What I'm thinking is that I have to scribe each . This type of molding is a strip of material that's used to conceal the transition between the ceiling and the wall or the wall and the floor. My stairs have a gap between the skirt board and the treads and risers on one side. Andyman said: Customer pulled carpet from stairs and refinished the hardwood flooring. Cut a piece of carpeting with shears to fit the stair tread exactly. An escalator system comprising, a travelling stairway having a plurality of main stair bodies disposed and travelling along adjacent a skirt plate defining a gap between the lateral edge of each of the main stair bodies and said skirt plate, each body of said main stair comprising one tread board including a plurality of cleats and one riser, for each body a safety device . Apply A Line Of Caulk. Width if gap varies in each step. An easy and beautiful fix for shabby stair risers. written by: Cassity. I've noticed two different methods for installing skirtboards: (1) install treads and risers first, cut skirtboard to fit over treads and risers. However, the standard size is a minimum of 9.5 inches wide and inches thick. The more uniform the lifts or risers, the easier it is to traverse. Imagine the deck board might expand or contract just 1/8" inch across the surface where you walk. At StairSupplies, you'll find the best selection of trim molding for your customized staircase from shoe molding to stair nosing to skirt boards. Any minor gap between the cut notch and skirt is shimmed tight. This way, there will not be a gap between the riser and tread. The length depends on how long the staircase is, and the thickness also depends on your existing baseboard thickness - but never less than 5/8". The 3/4-in. Step 3. 3/4" x 5 1/4" with 1 1/4" nosing. You want the riser to be about a 1/16" higher than the stringer board. This method seemed to be preferred in many local homes built before the 1950's or so. The difficulty started with the first tread.