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Laminate on Stairs?

would_be_gardener

17 years ago

We would like to lay wood laminate in our large foyer and extend it up the 5 stairs leading to the first living area of our home. Can wood laminate be installed on stair treads? And if so, any concerns about safety? Think they would be slippery? This is a main entrance for the house with daily use. Would appreciate any advice:-) Thanks!

Featured Answer

floorguy

16 years ago

When you say "wood laminate" I think engineered with laminated cross-ply wood. Yes engineered wood can be installed on stairs, using a stairnosing.

Laminate can be installed on stairs, using a stairnose from the laminat manufacturer. They are not floating, they are fully glued to the framed stair tread and riser.

Wilsonart, as mentioned above, have full stair treads.

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Comments (6)

greyhound3
17 years ago
Never heard of laminate stairways and few choose laminate wood in high traffic foyers. It looks sharp and is rather easy to clean but isn't moisture friendly and buckles in changing temperatures. Unless covered with a foyer area rug and stair runner it will be slippery. I'd say your safety concerns of this product are well founded.
would_be_gardener
Original Author
16 years ago
Dear Greyhound,
Thanks very much but have a question...is laminate more slippery than hardwood? We have laminate in our kitchen and dining area and are very pleased with it. Do not have any slip problems except for the dog when he gets going too fast :-)
So should we think hardwood instead?
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Simulating wood with a photographic applique layer under a clear protective layer, laminate is just a composite. I would not consider spending money on a laminate floor at this point. It isn’t a better solution than going with the ivory carpet for a few years. Laminate is $, but it's noisy and doesn’t like water. "Water can cause laminate flooring to swell if it gets between the seams. Being made of pressed board, laminate can easily chip--especially the critical tongue and groove sections.” Where I would spend extra money is on the padding under the rug. That will go a long way to help keep the rug clean. It isn’t the rug fibre which stains, it is whatever liquid has soaked into the pad that keeps coming back to haunt you. Spend a few cents extra and ask for Mohawk Smart Step. it has a coating which keeps any liquid from soaking into the pad. If it needs to be seamed, have them duck-tape the seams. I have a light wool wall to wall carpet. Should something spill, I grab a dry cloth or paper towel or newspaper and step on it until all the liquid is out of the rug. Then, use a combo of water and ammonia, and just dab at it. Actual dirt or mud, just let it dry and then vacuum.
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mellody27
16 years ago
Wilsonart makes a laminate stair tread(it's all one piece) and it should not be any more slippery than hardwood, in my experience. Good luck!
kclv
16 years ago
I am also considering laminate on a staircase. I absolutely hate carpet, and as I live in a very dry climate, hardwood is not an option as it would dry out and crack. I have laminate in my living/dining room, and in the kid's bedrooms, and I have been very pleased with it. I have hardwood stairs in the past, and I can't imagine that laminate would be any less slippery that hardwood. They do have new laminate flooring which has grooves between the planks to mimic hardwood slats, and that would probably provide a little extra traction.
oofasis
15 years ago
This is an old thread, but I thought I'd add an update for those who might currently be interested.

We installed laminate on our staircase and it looks drop-your-sox gorgeous! We used laminate throughout our house in our recent renovation (um, actually it's still ongoing!). We selected Berry laminates: one is a slate look called Tourraine, and the other is a wide-plank red cherry. Both styles have a wonderful texture to them. We used the cherry on the stairs as they have a matching stair nose for the application. They look fabulous. Visitors are always fooled by how realistic the floors look.

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