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Design Dilemma Flooring

Uneven bullnose on stairs

Breanne Stuckey

last year

Just wondering if I’m being picky or is this bad installation. It is a engineered hardwood product with coordinating bull nose for the stair treads. However, on multiple of the steps, a portion is raised up and you can feel a small lip when you walk down the stairs. It almost feels sharp. Not all stairs are like that and some are perfectly flush. The bull nosing also tilts down 2 to 3°. The gaps between the tread and the bull nosing are also not even. Is this just a normal thing that happens with bull nosing and treads or was this a poor installation.

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Comments (12)

millworkman
last year
Poor workmanship all the way around and please show us an example of the, " The bull nosing also tilts down 2 to 3°. "..............
Breanne Stuckey
Original Author
last year
2 different steps
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The edge on the noising looks 'finished'. That's they way it is supposed to sit. It is fine. It is part of what reduces the slip factor on the stairs. It is a physical 'grip' that gives socks a bit of grip. If not, you would be skating down them like a bobsled. It also offers a physical 'hump' or bump to tell your body where the edge of the stair is. This is very important. With stairs that blend into one another (visually) it is hard to tell where one tread ends and the riser begins. This bump helps you find your way up a set of stairs that look like a wall of vinyl.
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PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
last year
The walking surface of treads and landings of a stairway shall be sloped no steeper than 1 unit vertical in 48 units horizontal (2% slope). The greatest riser height within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 of an inch
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
Based on these photos yes it seems sloppy.
millworkman
last year
2-3 degrees you typed inches. OK, still quite sloppy and possibly not to code as GN Builders pointed out above but more info and measurements would be needed for that.
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
last year
Doesn't look like they dry-fitted the pieces before the final install to see if some prep work was needed to make a tight fit. With seasonal changes most likely it will open up more in some places.
PRO
Norwood Architects
last year
It doesn't take much to pose a tripping hazard. If someone comes down the stair in sock feet it might be possible to snag and then down the stair you go. I would have your stair installer come back and sand the bullnose down to be flush with the stair.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I agree at this point the sanding is proably the best answer.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
Straight simple white oak treads could have been fabricated, stained to match floors, requiring no nosings at all, with exception of landing/top.

Codes for stairs are strict and precise to fractions of inches, Rise and tread depth.
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
last year
By the way how deep is the tread, if it's under 12" with solid risers you must have a min 3/4" nosing to meet the code.
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
In addition to the above problems, the color of the tread is not compatible with the color of the bullnose edging. Are you going to stain it?
millworkman
last year
" The best option for stains is never separate nosing "

Treads are typically edge joined built up material

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