• Wood flooring can provide an attractive finish for your stairs."Wooden Step and Shadow" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: shaire productions (Sherrie Thai) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Types

• Before installing wood flooring on stairs, it is helpful to understand the different types of wood flooring that are available. Solid hardwood is the most expensive, but also offers the highest level of durability over time. Engineered wood is made from a plywood base topped with a thin layer of veneer. It is more affordable than hardwood, but cannot be sanded and refinished. Laminate flooring is the most affordable of these three products. It is made of a composite base topped with a printed paper layer and urethane wear coat. The paper is printed to resemble wood grain, and is generally very realistic.
  
  

Features

• There are three ways to install a wood floor, and many manufacturers recommend certain techniques for their products. Solid wood is usually nailed or glued down, while engineered wood can be nailed, glued or floated over the subfloor. Laminate is usually designed to be floated, though some varieties can be glued. Floating floors snap together using tongue-and-groove connectors, and require no nails or glue. When installing wood flooring on stairs, look for a product that can be glued down, as nailing can be difficult. Floating floors should not be installed on stairs.
  
  

Benefits

• Wood flooring can offer a number of benefits when installed on the stairs. It is available in many species and colors to give your stairs the desired finish. Wood can be installed on the tread and riser of each step, or just along the tread, while the riser can be painted a complementary color. Adding wood flooring to the stairs can also be used to provide a cohesive finish between two areas that have wood floors. Wood also requires less maintenance than traditional carpeted stairs, and will last longer on average.
  
  

Installation

• To install wood flooring on stairs, start by cutting away the existing stair nosings with a saw or sawzall. The nosing is the portion of the tread that extends beyond the front of the riser. Start at the bottom stair and spread flooring adhesive along the front of the riser. Press floor boards firmly in place, butting them tightly together, or joining tongue-and-groove connectors, if applicable. You'll need a nosing that matches your flooring to install along the front of each step, then the rest of the tread can be covered in the same manner as the riser. If you find that the nosing isn't fitting tightly between the boards on the treads and risers, you may want to add flooring nails to secure it in place. Place nails into the tongue or groove at the end of the nosing (on the tread). As you install adjacent boards the nails will be hidden by the those boards.
  
  

Considerations

• Unless your stairs are in great shape, it can help to prepare them for wood flooring installation before you begin. Add wooden shims between treads and risers that are loose or squeaky. Plane or sand down any high spots, and fill dips or cracks with wood filler. Remove any stray nails or staples, and replace entire treads that appear to be rotted or damaged. Preparing your stairs using these techniques will maximize the life of your wooden stairs while reducing the risk of cracks, squeaks or other problems over time.