In the world of wood flooring, achieving a flawless transition between different sections of a home is one of the hallmarks of true craftsmanship.
Matt Garcia of Craftsman Hardwood Flooring recently was tasked with such a challenge when a homeowner with a keen eye for detail envisioned a specific look with a natural patina for both their floors and staircase.
“Stair parts for pre-finished flooring pose a challenge as they’re usually not made in the same heat-treated processes. The solution was to fabricate stair tread nosings from the flooring material for a perfect match from the flooring to the staircase.”
— Matt Garcia, Craftsman Hardwood Flooring
“The clients fell in love with a beautiful 7’’ wide, long length, prefinished European oak flooring that was heat-treated to give a carbonized color in the grain of the wood,” Garcia explains.
“Since the color of the wood is achieved by a heat reaction, there is no color pigment in the grain compared to wood treated with stain, giving it a high-definition look and a rich, aged appearance.”
Here’s a breakdown of the meticulous process:
- Determining Dimensions: Precise measurements were taken to determine the dimensions of the nosings, including the overhang, desired face thickness, and width.
- Cutting the Bottom Portion: Wide plank flooring boards were cut meticulously to create the bottom portion of the nosings with a 45-degree angle miter, creating an overhang.
- Creating the Face Portion: A double miter was cut for the face portion of the nosings on the same board, ensuring a seamless transition from the flooring to the nosing.
- Assembling the Pieces: The pieces were glued carefully and assembled using clamps or pin nails, ensuring a tight and secure fit.
- Building the Stair Treads: The remainder of the flooring planks were used to build the stair treads, attached to the fabricated nosings to achieve the desired depth.
The clients desired a seamless flow of flooring from the main living areas to the staircase, necessitating a perfect match in color and style.
“As the wood flooring industry has evolved, pre-finished wood flooring styles have greatly influenced clients’ expectations,” Garcia notes. “Pre-finished wood flooring is a competitive market, with many reactive treatments and layered color applications challenging to duplicate onsite. I knew it would be almost impossible to match the flooring the way they wanted, and I would have to come up with a different approach.”
Garcia proposed a creative solution: fabricating custom stair nosings from the same prefinished flooring material.
“Stair parts for pre-finished flooring pose a challenge as they’re usually not made in the same heat-treated processes,” Garcia explains. “The solution was to fabricate stair tread nosings from the flooring material for a perfect match from the flooring to the staircase.”
Collaborating closely with the clients, Garcia presented mock-ups and test pieces to ensure their vision was realized. The result was a set of custom stair nosings that perfectly complemented the prefinished flooring, seamlessly integrating with the staircase and achieving the flawless look the clients desired.
In the end, Garcia’s craftsmanship and attention to detail resulted in a stunning staircase that seamlessly blended with the prefinished flooring, creating a cohesive and visually striking interior space. The project stands as a testament to the ingenuity and skill of craftsmen like Garcia, who go above and beyond to transform their clients’ visions into reality.
