Gen B, the fabricators knew we were changing ranges. Unfortunately, the delivery time for the range was much longer than expected. My question is... does it really matter though. Shouldn't the cut be straight either way. What if down the line, say in 5 years or so, you wished to change the range and they didn't make that particular model any longer? If they would have cut it straight it would've have solved a multitude of problems down the line. When the fabricator was here last tuesday he didn't want to say it, however, he alluded to the fact that the overhang on the old range provided a "safety net". I have a feeling that they chipped the side of the cut out when they were fabricating (because it's such a soft stone) and then decided they had to cut it like this to even it out. After he argued with me incessantly stating that "this is how they do it "standard procedure to cut the back smaller and the front larger", he then went on to say he followed the lines of the cabinet. I believe wholeheartedly that once he realized I wasn't buying the "this is how we always do it" story, he then decided to try a different angle (no pun intended) and blame the cabinet people. It was very upsetting. No apology, no accountability and no phone call back to discuss what they are willing to do.

Okay so if we close in the lower set of stairs with risers, make all the treads wood including the landing and add white skirts around the inside - the new cost is $6350....Most of you want us to get rid of the carpet on the stairs, but when you know the cost is $6350 you say skip it. I'm saying to forget the white skirt, to caulk the gap between the drywall and stringer, tidy up the stringer with some sanding & spackle... AND, look under the carpet to see what the actual treads look like. We don't know what is hiding underneath the carpet. How long have you lived in the house? Did you have the current carpet installed? Do you know what is beneath the carpet on the stairs? Because $6300 + is a lot of money to be throwing at what isn't, IMO, an eyesore.

If in doubt go darker. Like 3-5 times darker. When the product is PURPOSEFULLY stained a different colour than the floor, it is used as an ACCENT. That accent can then be 'picked up' in other ways. Such as a dark railing or dark spindles. All it takes is TWO items to create a 'look'. This works with pillows and area rugs or area rugs and drapes. It can work for stair treads and railings/spindles. Simply make the decision that makes TWO items the same colour. Maple is a pain to stain LIGHT...but it is very handsome when worked in a DARK stain. It will look 'almost' painted but not quite. Ask the wood trim company to create a dark charcoal or 'almost' black stain. And then MAKE SURE you get ONE OTHER ITEM in that same colour. The two put TOGETHER make a statement. It's a brilliant way to fix an oopsa.

OK...now to the MEAT of the issue. By 'rugs' I assume you mean wall-to-wall carpet. Ok. That means you have a house that has a second floor (can we assume wood joists for the second floor?) that has been BUILT to handle carpet. Carpets are light. They HIDE tremendous amounts of errors that the builders caused when building the house. At this point I would ASSUME the upstairs needs strengthening BEFORE tiles can be installed. Bathrooms are different. They have extra support because they are full of heavy things (tubs, showers, sinks, cabinetry). That means the bathroom floors are strong enough to handle tile. The rest of the upstairs is NOT strong enough for tile (if you have concrete then you can ignore this thread). Tiles are HEAVY. They will cause normal wooden subfloors to bend. Tiles don't bend...they crack. Their grout cracks. Then the pop up. Now you have a HUGE mess. The installer will have to do the math for the joists + subfloor thickness. That math will tell him/her how much THICKER the upstairs subfloor has to be. You will then pay for the new plywood for the upstairs. You will pay for that plywood to be installed (can be $2/sf for material + labour). Now you can install the tile. Tiles normally sit 3/4" thick once installed. That is VERY THICK compared to your carpet. Now the subfloor thickness is added to that. It is possible the upstairs floors will rise by 1" - 1.5". That means your stairs are going to get messed up. And now we have a BIG expensive problem. And that's just for the stairs. Imagine how big of a step down you will have into the bathroom. And the doors will have to be taken down and trimmed. If you want an easy to care for surface, you should look at laminate or vinyl plank flooring. Tiling the second story of a home can be VERY expensive. So expensive that most people do NOT try it. Be VERY aware of what you ask of your house. It was NOT built for tile upstairs. It was built for carpets...The stairs could be a nightmare you never ever want to experience. Their costs are extreme. Having to 'fix' a stair that is out of code can double, or even triple the cost of the project. No. I am not kidding. We've seen $15K spent on bring the stairs up to code in a situation like this. And then you have to pay to have a floor put on them.