To cut the stair or not?

[MrInteractive]

Hello,

I am laying engineered floor boards on my concrete hall floor and I have a dilemma.

I am intending to lay the boards and the cork expansion pieces right up against the walls and other features of the hall as suggested on this forum and elsewhere for the best job possible.

I have a small problem in an area near the stairs.

Here is the situation.

Now should I saw away at the bottom of the white rectangular block of wood butting up against the banister post at the bottom of the stairs to fit in the floorboards and cork expansion strips?

My worry is that by sawing off the bottom of the white wooden block that it is no longer supported by the floor if I saw through its entire width, which is what one would do to ensure the floorboards are aligned along the whole length of the side of the stairs.

One can see from the picture that at least the front part of the block is not actually in contact with the floor, there is a small gap. So perhaps support from the floor is not required.

The white block is used to support a sort of skirting-board-like piece of wood which extends all the way up to the top of the stairs, as seen in the next picture.

Does anybody know whether the block is likely to be attached to the banister post or other part of the stair woodwork such that I don't have to worry about removing its base so that is no longer in contact with the concrete floor.

Oh, and one other question, how does one place the floorboards against the vertical carpet on the vertical part of the bottom stair? Should I just place the floorboards brushing against the carpet? Or should I put some sort of transition piece between the boards and the carpet.

Thank you in advance.

Mark

 

[gregers]

looks to me like its some kind of plinth block,more of a asthetic solution then a supporting solution.i would gently try to pry it off.and see whats behind it.

 

[MrInteractive]

Right, that is helpful, and I think I might agree with you.

The skirting-board-like piece of wood which rests upon the block does seem to be for aesthetic purposes too, though it does form part of the door frame for the understairs cupboard and perhaps is used to define the line of the stair frame.

Also, I suppose that if one didn't have that piece of wood there might be a less than appealing join of the skirting board on the floor and the piece I described above, whereas the block provides a sort of aesthetic hub.

I am a little wary of trying to prise the thing off, as I am hoping that it is screwed in place if it is not supported on the floor.

 

[frustin]

i'm sorting out my hallway at the moment, so interested in what you did and how it turned out.

 

[MrInteractive]

It was a purely aesthetic piece and served no support function whatsoever and I was able to just saw off the bottom with the special flat cutting saw and fit the floorboards underneath what remained.