Flooring/Stair Advice

[eyeofthebeholder]

Hi All,

We have a town house with the lounge on the 1st floor. We have decided on putting bamboo flooring on the ground and 1st floor. The stairs lead directly into the lounge.

One of the things we can't visualise/agree on/do for the best effect on these stairs and wondered what you guys would suggest putting on the stairs.

We were thinking of carpet just on the stairs, but I think it just wouldn't be right going from wood to carpet to wood again. Also, what do you do at the top - where do you join (for best visual effect and safety)

My ideal would be to put the bamboo on the stairs, but I don't think thats going to happen - well not cheaply and easily though! I had also thought about sanding back and staining the Parana pine treads and possibly put a runner on. I don't think it would look right with two different woods.

Any ideas?

 

[big-all]

hessian 'coconut matt !!! some sort off carpet along those line asuming they are ok for stairs

 

[WoodYouLike]

Or expose wood on the stairs and stick stair mats down (100% sisal)

 

[TimberWindows]

In my house we have wooden floors downstairs, then there is carpet on the stairs and first and second floors. This makes the downstairs look a bit more clean and the second two floors with bedrooms mor homely and warmer under the feet in winter.

 

[eyeofthebeholder]

Thanks for the info on the stair mats - didn't really know they existed!

On looking around for ideas etc I found this last night: http://www.pearstairs.co.uk/pages/s...aspx?cat=18430B41-57AC-4524-AD09-9C6900B54628

I like the way the final trend as been fitted on top of the pine trends. I was thinking of possibly getting a joiner to make up the trends in oak (a close match to the Bamboo flooring we want). The risers could then be sanded and painted white as in the photos. We could then fit the mats or a carpet runner similar to this: http://www.pearstairs.co.uk/pages/s...aspx?cat=9C0E6B2D-76C2-4EF8-8C09-9BF400D9DEEC

Would there be any issues in fitting trends on top of existing? I would assume it would need to be fairly thick wood to stop it splitting at the edge. Also not sure how close it would come to the top edge of the stringers?

 

[eyeofthebeholder]

On looking around for information on my previous post found this guide:

http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwoodinstaller/stairs.htm

Has anyone attempted this? As I have found a few suppliers of Bamboo that provide stair nosings as well I was this of using this (Stranded natual-type). Also I would be fitting ply over existing risers and painting this white (as in the guide). Is this any issues not mentioned in the guide that people have come across?