I would like to finish my basement stairs by putting backs on the open treads and then drywall on the side openings but i have an issue that i do not know how to solve.

The issue is that there is not enough overlap in the stairs to provide a toe kick. The front of the tread is directly above the back of the next bottom tread. Each tread is 36 inches wide, 9.5 inches deep and there is 6.5 inches between the top and bottom of the treads.

My questions are; do i need to worry about a toe kick and if so do i add to the back of each tread or to the front to provide the toe kick and how could that be done?

thanks

 

I just checked my basement stairs which have a closed back. I have a 9 3/4 inch step with an 8 inch rise between steps. When walking up the steps, my toe is a good inch from the closed back. I would think that you would be okay.

 

thank you for the suggestion.

 

It will look better if the stair treads have the overhang. You can remove the treads and add a strip of wood to the back then re-install if they are getting carpeted or painted. Another option is to remove them and get new treads the size needed and then stain them.

 

isn't there something like quarter round trim that's flat on one side and rounded on the other (i dunno, half round maybe?) It may be simpler to close off the stairs without an overhang then add a piece of trim to the front of the stairs. This would definitely be cheaper and less time consuming than replacing.

Or, get wood that's 1-2 wide and the depth of your stair and nail it into the front of the stair, then put the 'cover' for between the stairs halfway between the step top and the added piece. this will keep the added piece from breaking off or becoming loose.

Good luck,

Nikki

 

Do you have the type of stair carriages (stringers) that are cut out, like zig-zag vertical-horizontal-vertical-horizontal, etc. for 14 times or so pattern?, or do you have plain wide boards as carriages where someone just nailed tread supporting horizontal blocks (cleats) on each end?

Do you have a carriage only on each side, or do you then have an additional cut-out carriage in the middle as well?

You mention about sheetrocking each wall? So each side of the stairs is currently bordered by framed walls but simply have not been sheetrocked yet? Are they sheetrocked down in the basement on the other side of the wall?, but just not on the stairway walls yet? (Trying to figure out why this is.)

It's always nice to have a skirt board along side the stairs so that when vacuuming or any other abuse going up-down the stairs, the bottom of the walls do not get damaged. Also has professional look and gives good termination edge for carpet on the sides.

Generally to do what you want to do, you carefully remove the existing treads, number them (in case each were cut somewhat different), buy 3/4 inch boards and cut them to length (36 inches). The width of each board would go from top of each tread to top of the next tread. That is your "rise". After each one is nailed on the back, then each tread is butted up to each riser.

Whenever pros run into a problem where the "rise" is 7 1/2 inches, they simply buy standard 7 1/4 inch boards (called 1 x 8's) and nail each board flush with the TOP of each riser and let the bottom of each board suspend up in the air by 1/4 inch as it wil later be covered by the treads.

 

I'm pretty sure you can't attach a piece of trim to the front of the stair. It would cause a fall if it broke off under weight.

If you're messing with your stairs you should search online for the code requirements for stairs -- they are particular -- for very good reason.

 

Everyone,

thanks for the suggestions.

the stringers are 2 x 10s or 12s with grooves cut into them where the treads fit.

i am using the approach of adding 3/4 trim on the back of the treads and then adding 1 x 8's as the backing.

i tried a couple of the stairs just to see the result and it seems to work well

thanks again for the suggestions.