Latest Project

A few weeks ago we had the kitchen floor replaced.  The previous floor was a beautiful Brazilian Cherry laminate.  When we decided to use a laminate product, it was a decision driven largely by the fact that the laminate is supposed to be so durable.  What no one told us is the fact that laminate doesn't tolerate wetness.  On two different occasions, we had to replace it because a water leak caused water to seep into the space between the subfloor and the underside of the laminate.  When this happens, the individual "boards" of the floor warp and the floor is ruined.  We decided to replace the laminate with vinyl.

We picked out a beautiful dark graphite textured, commercial-grade vinyl.  The crew who installed it put in a completely new subfloor and did a magnificent job with the installation.  We were very pleased with the dramatically-changed result except for one item: the stairs leading from the great room into the kitchen.

At the time we had installed the laminate floor, I had built the two steps leading up into the kitchen.  I stained the treads to match the floor and used laminate to cover the risers.  It worked perfectly and lasted many years.  But now, we decided that the steps needed to match the kitchen floor rather than the great room floor.  That was when I discovered that I had both nailed and glued the steps.  I apparently wanted them to last without squeaking.  It made the dismantling process very interesting.

The results of my latest effort are very satisfying.  I cut new treads of oak, then glued the vinyl to it and routed the edge carefully to ensure that the edge of the vinyl aligned perfectly with the edge of the step.  In the meantime, I ordered some bullnose molding of white oak from a mill in Kentucky.  When it arrived, I stained it with an ebony-colored stain, finished it with polyurethane, cut it to length, and nailed it to the edges of the tread.  I carefully cut and glued the vinyl to the vertical surfaces.  The result is quite satisfying...