Yes, you remove the cove molding for a cap and band install and no you don't put it back. You repair, fill and paint the risers.........

If you want a waterfall install? You may be able to avoid the removal.

The difference below Cap and band, right side

Thank you so much, Jan! I will definitely look into the waterfall instillation so I can try to preserve the molding if possible.

Just out of curiosity..where do the arches with doors lead? I'd lose the doors if at all possible. Won't destroy the arch /charm.

Maybe I’m missing something, but isn’t that cove molding I see on the stairs on the right? Cove is the piece right under the tread barely visible, no?

nidnay, I think the cove they are talking about is where the tread meets the riser, not the piece under the bullnose of the tread.

HU-819452669, I had a stair runner installed sever years ago and they used the fitted method in the second picture above. It is tighter to the stair and in my opinion preferable to a waterfall, which I think slightly reduces the clearance on the step.

@houssaon… But if you look at the ops stairs, there is no cove where the tread meets the riser….just looks like carpet tacking strips.

Since there has been a stair runner in that location prior to the current situation, removal of molding is not required. Time to chat with another installer.

The previous may have been WATERFALL. . No fine installer would even attempt cap and band with molding under a stair nose. And I know this as I have a very fine carpet store, with the best installer in the state of NY.

Sought by NYC designers for any project in this state.

@JAN MOYER ….Isn’t that cove molding in the picture on the right??

It could be very flat molding. .........but trust me. NO great installer wants to do it and a really great installer will refuse. All of which could even be determined by the actual goods being used for the runner..

And we don't know that...........................

Here is the staircase when we bought the house. I think this is waterfall.

The door on the left is a hall closet. The door on the right goes to the back hall where you can enter the kitchen, pantry and powder room. I am planning to have the doors sanded down and stained but could remove the door on the right…

Here is a closer picture

Jan….I am not at all pushing for keeping the cove mold…the one time I saw it done under a runner it was not a good look. I am just trying to figure out how they have the cove molding on that staircase on the right because the carpet looks very neatly and beautifully tucked in.

To the OP….just to clarify, when you speak of “cove” molding, you are referring to this small white strip here, correct?

Jan, really value your POV based on your experience. Would you have the cove modeling removed and do the cap and band or would you do the waterfall? Here is the material I’ve chosen.

Ninday, yes that’s what I’m referring to as cove molding!

Lovely home! And…leave BOTH doors. Love the symmetry!

Beautiful staircase BTW….and LOVE your carpet choice!

nidnay, you were right. I was wrong.

I think the staircase is grand, but the previous install was not. It looked bulky.

I really don't think a waterfall is the best way.

I just checked my stairs. At one time there was cove molding under the nose of the tread. I can feel the difference in the paint surface. It was long gone before I bought this house.

The stairs were covered in wall to wall carpeting which I had to remove. I refinish the steps, stained the treads and painted the risers. Left them bare.

A few years later I put in the runner. That was about 20 years ago and it still looks nice.

We’ll have no idea what any of you are talking about, but that is a gorgeous staircase? What state is this house in?

Kansas City, Missouri

How does the runner transition at the landing:

- Stops at the top tread? Same on all 3 sets of steps?

- Or continues both directions to the next sets of stairs? Then continues on into the 2nd floor hall? On the landing then, would it extend to wall and ballusters too, or have bound or tucked edges stopping short?

Gorgeous! I think everyone would agree they want to see more of your house. We removed an antique staircase and put it in our new home. Your contractor is correct the cove moulding is not easy to remove and will be severly damaged if removed. More than likely it was handmade. We can not find a replacement for our cove moulding. It was brittle when we removed it and we used extreme care. We will either have to make it ourselves with a router or pay big money for someone else to custom make it. I would keep the trim and find a way to put the runner on the staircase. We live in the Northwest part of Missouri I honestly wouldnt be able to tell the difference between the too styles of carpeted tread cover, they both look like covered treads. Your moulding is also curved so that increases the cost of replication if you ever changed your mind. I would definitely keep it. Not many people can fabricate/craft moulding like that any longer.

Our antique staircase without the cove moulding because we dont have a replacement for the original and will have to make something for it! But we are happy we were able to save it out of the original farmhouse!

K H that railing is so beautiful! I've never seen spindles in that configuration.

When I was checking my stairs and discovered that there had been cove molding, which I never missed, I noticed that the steps to the basement still had the cove molding.

My stairs are covered with a runner using the cap and band install. Fits to the stair like a second skin. The runner goes down my hall, makes a U turn, down the stairs and ends at the bottom of the last riser.

@houssaon thank you, I believe our old farmhouse is nearing 150 years old. Im not familar with a cap and band runner. Around here most install the waterfall. Could it not fit into the recess of the cove? Could you share a pic of your stairs to help the OP decide?