Wooden staircases are an extremely popular and stylish option at this moment in time. With more and more people choosing wooden flooring for the main rooms in their home, these same people often look to extend this interior styling to their staircases.
If you’re building a brand new home from scratch, you may well have opted for a solid or an engineered wooden staircase to be installed and have allowed for this in the design and planning. That said, if you live in an older property, your only option, if you want a solid or engineered wooden staircase may well be to clad your current staircase.
Cladding is the term used to describe the process whereby an existing structure is covered with a new material to create a whole new look without changing the original form or construction. Often used to describe the process of applying a new “covering” to a roof or walls, it is a term also used in flooring. In this case, it involves the application of engineered wood flooring to an existing or original staircase to give it a whole new look.
If you choose to clad your staircase with engineered board, the end result will look exactly the same as if you select solid wood board, but with one exception. Because engineered boards can’t be manipulated in the same way as solid wood to create the edge, or “nose” of each step, you’ll need to install an engineered wood “nose” on each step.
A nose is essentially fitted at the front of each step to create a neat join between the tread and the riser creating a pleasing and stable finish. In order to make way for your new engineered wood floor nosing, the existing nosing on your original staircase will need to be removed. The removal of the existing nosing will enable the neat and stable fitting of your engineered wood nosing.
One important thing to remember if you’re planning to clad your staircase with engineered boards is that the boards need to be glued to your original staircase. Although there are several ways of fitting engineered boards in other rooms (including nailing, floating and stapling for example), for stairs, it is essential that you glue your boards to the existing stairs to achieve the rigidity and stability required. Only by doing so can you be sure that your new stairs will stand the test of time and more importantly be safe.
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FAQ
Q1: Why are wooden staircases popular?
Wooden staircases are popular because they provide a stylish and contemporary look. They often match well with wooden flooring in other parts of the home, extending the cohesive interior design to the staircase.
Q2: What is staircase cladding?
Staircase cladding is the process of covering an existing staircase structure with a new material, like engineered wood flooring, to create a new look without changing the original form or construction. It provides a cost-effective way to transform an old staircase into a stylish wooden staircase.
Q3: How does the final look of a clad staircase compare to a solid wood staircase?
If you clad your staircase with engineered wood board, the end result will look exactly the same as if you selected a solid wood board. The only exception is the “nose” of each step, which will need to be created using an engineered wood “nose”.
Q4: What is a staircase “nose” and why is it important?
A “nose” is fitted at the front of each step to create a neat join between the tread and the riser, providing a pleasing and stable finish. When cladding with engineered wood, you’ll need to install an engineered wood “nose” on each step. The existing nosing on your original staircase will need to be removed to enable the fitting of your engineered wood nosing.
Q5: How should I install engineered wood boards on my staircase?
When cladding a staircase with engineered boards, it’s essential that the boards are glued to your original staircase. Unlike other rooms where nailing, floating, or stapling might be used, stairs require glue to achieve the necessary rigidity and stability for safety and longevity.