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When it comes to doing a flooring installation, most people are stumped when it comes to whether or not they can install laminate flooring on stairs. With the right tools and moldings, you absolutely can install laminate flooring on stairs!
The Basics to Stair Installation
Begin your stair installation by clearing your stairs of all loose debris and obstructions. Remove any old carpeting or flooring to leave the stairs as bare as possible.
Installing laminate flooring on stairs is definitely one time you won’t use it as a floating floor system, so do not use underlayment. If you have a laminate with attached underlayment, you will need to remove the underlayment from the plank. You will need to glue and screw (or nail) the laminate down to the stairs themselves. Since stairs are a high traffic area, gluing the flooring will prevent most issues that could come up. The glue should be a Liquid Nails® or “construction-type” glue dispensed from a glue gun. To ensure a stronger grip for the adhesive to the back of the laminate flooring plank I recommend scratching the back of the plank by scratching the surface of the back with either a knife or screwdriver.
You can use laminate planks on both the tread and riser of the stair or on just the tread. It is extremely important to have precise cuts and measurements for a stair installation. Additionally, a stair nose molding is required for the top of the stair, and hangs down slightly over the riser piece. Quarter round moldings can also be used on the inside of the stair, however it is possible to install the laminate so precisely that a quarter round molding will not be required.
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