Prefinished Oak Install with Custom-Stained Stair Treads to Match- Nashua, NH

The home owner wanted new prefinished wood flooring installed in a hallway and a room on their second floor. They had carpet, which we removed along with the padding and tack strips. 

To prepare the surface, the subfloor was screwed down in a few spots to remove some minor squeaks.
 
In addition, the home owner wanted new stair treads installed that matched the new flooring. So we installed a rich “mink” finish Armstrong Ascot prefinished red oak, then custom-stained new stairs treads to match, and then installed the treads. We also reinstalled the spindles and installed new poplar risers (which the home owner painted on their own). 

 

This project involved staining and finishing the stair treads off site. Having treads installed with the finish already applied makes for a more difficult install, but is a faster and cleaner alternative to a site finish. This way, the home owners were able to walk upstairs at night and not have to workaround the sand/stain/finish process in their home. 
 
The process of matching the color of the stair treads with the prefinished flooring was not easy. First we tried Minwax stains, but after many mixed cans and too many attempts, I decided to use a different stain. We ended up with a combination of Saman stains perfectly mixed to match the prefinished floor. Then we sealed the treads with Bona Drifast Sealer and finished with Bona Woodline Oil-based semi-gloss Polyurethane. 

Here’s a great picture the customer posted in an online review they submitted:

Quote from home owner: "Landing and top of stairs...Note that Dustin was able to perfectly match the color of the stairs to the prefinished flooring."

 
The home owner was ecstatic with the outcome, and so was I. Here are a few quotes from an online review they wrote:

"Dustin was great in explaining all of the pros and cons and we decided on a pre-finished flooring. Now, stairs are much more difficult than typical flooring and Dustin went to great lengths to make sure we understood all aspects of what was going to be done.  Originally, we were going to have the flooring installed by a competitor (you can search my profile to find the other review).  They had mentioned they would do it all in one day.  After speaking with Dustin, it was clear that was not only not possible but would have been a disaster."

Craft room installed (photo from home owner)

"We were quoted a 5 day install and that is exactly what it took.  Dustin's team did a fantastic job and Dustin himself spent a huge amount of time to make sure that the stair treads and risers were properly installed. This is a key aspect that you won't find in budget contractors.  The attention to detail was far beyond what we expected (in a very positive way).  By working with Dustin ahead of time we were assured that we understood what was being done and how long each step should take."

"We did not have the risers pre-finished so I completed that after the stairs were done.  Dustin spent a great amount of time making sure the cuts and alignment of each step was perfect.  Although this took extra time, the end result was spectacular.  The stairs are perfectly aligned and show no movement after two months of use.  There is no shifting or noise and the stairs look great. Overall I would highly recommend this company and look forward to using them for future projects."

Risers painted (photo from home owner)

 
What a great project, and well worth all the effort. Seeing the outcome is incredible and hearing such positive feedback from the home owner is even more rewarding. 


Read more about Armstrong's flooring products: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products

Read more about Minwax products: http://www.minwax.com/

Read more about Saman products: http://www.samanwoodstain.com/

Read more about Bona's products: http://www.bona.com/en-US/http://www.bona.com/en-US/