Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Layng new prefinished strip hardwood flooring at base of stairs

Hello all:

I'm about ready to install new hardwood flooring throughout my entire first floor. Because of the way the floor joists run, and the way the rooms are laid out, there's no question which direction to lay the boards. However, this happens to be perpendicular to the where the staircase comes down from the second floor.

In other words, if one were to stand on the bottom step and look straight down at the new floor, the new boards will end at the riser, rather than running parallel to it. This seems wrong to me -- won't that look weird? Or is this commonly done? If not, how do I lay the floor around the base of the stairs?

Thanks for any advice or opinions.

It won't make much difference once it is laid. It will really depend on the long dimension of the room, and since you have already decided on that direction, go for it. I would band the staircase with flooring with the tongue out. Then start your flooring from that point to the opposite wall. It will give a demarcation and will give the tongue and groove effect for the ends.

Thanks for the tip. Banding with the tongue out makes sense -- maybe even more than one board width.

This reminds me of another question though that I meant to ask earlier. Is it safe to run the new floor right up aginast the riser without an expansion gap? It's not a very wide staircase, so I wonder if maybe that little bit wouldn't hurt. Or is it still important to leave the gap, and hide it with some kind of molding?

Thanks again.

You could always use a small quarter round to cover a small gap, so yes, it would be ok, and probably advisable.