When I pulled up my living room carpet and cleaned up the subfloor, I noticed that this part of the subfloor along the edge is only maybe 4-5" wide. (It is the standard 4' width). I don't know why they didn't plan that better. My concern is that the way I was suggested to do the flooring at that part is to put a nosing over the edge there, and that will be the edge that the hardwood butts up against. That nosing will be ~4" wide if I recall. Am I going to run into issues since it will only be glued/nailed to such a narrow piece of subfloor at that area? Should I pull that up, cut it a couple feet back, and place in a new piece of subfloor? It would let me get rid of this awesomely installed floor receptacle too.






You will also notice that the drywall sticks up ~1/8"-1/4" above the subfloor. Should I just use a pocket plane and get that down even with the subfloor? Should I put one of those "J" protectors over it afterwards before putting down the nosing?


Last is at the top of the stairs.
a. 1/2" drywall
b. molding that is on top of the stair side-board like thing. What's it called?
c. Stair side-board thing. What I notice though is that it sticks out further than the drywall. Do I just cut that back to be even with the drywall?

I think this area is the most critical to get the 2 nose pieces square, correct?

The small piece of subfloor is fine as long as its securely fastened. There is no need to pull it out. Add some more screws if that makes you feel better. Use construction adhesive and nails to secure that stairnose and it will be fine. The outlet is your call; either use it or take it out and wire nut the appropriate wires together and cap it will a steel outlet box plate.

Use a rasp or utility knife and cut the sheetrock so its flush with the top of the subfloor.
The sides of steps are called stringers; That is what you are pointing to in letter "c". Letter "b" is hard to tell from that picture but almost positive just a trim molding to cover the space between bottom of sheetrock where is meets the stringer and to dress up the staircase at the same time. Bottom line is all 3 of those things need to be flush with the top of the subfloor.

Let me know what your planning on doing as a floor covering on the steps and i can futher assist you. I am assuming right now its going to remain carpet.... btw i am also assuming your using 3/4" solid hardwood as your flooring. Your going to need to chop off the existing stairnose so its flush with the riser. Once that is done you can cut and mitre your stair nosing. Get a 2 ft framing square and make sure that everything is square before you nail it.

As far as the sheetrock goes, you overhang the nosings as much as you need to so you can add a molding under is just like the one that exists on the stringer. Cope the angle into the one that exists and run it to the right.

Hope this make sense. Hard to describe.
Good luck

I appreciate the detailed reply!

You would be correct, I'm going to be using 3/4" solid Maple -- Bruce Kennedale (in caramel, not that that matters).

We've been going back and forth on the outlet. The previous owner said it was handy to vacuum the stairs, but we're not going to need it for that, and really have no use for it. I think I will just do as you said and "properly" not use it.

Stringers, thanks! You are right in that "b" is just molding that follows on top of the stringer down to the landing. I am doing to remove that molding, it's been painted over way too many times with too much carpet stuck to it. Just going to replace it.

For the steps, we are planning on using the stair nosing with individual boards for the steps. He checked the price for the actual treads and risers, and they are about $160 per step if I remember right. That's a lot of green.

I am thinking that I will need to install that top stair nose parallel to the rest of the stairs, and then the other nose that will run along the edge on that landing towards the wall (floor level) will be at 90* to the stair nosing, even if it may not be parallel with the drywall beneath it, correct? Otherwise my floor will be all over the place.

So a molding goes underneath the nosing overhang also? Good to know! I'll have to look up what will look good.

Finally getting around to working on this flooring project again.

Whoever built the house was pretty sloppy. I have paint droplets pretty much all over the subfloor, and some areas where there is just some kind of gunk stuck to it, I don't know what it is though. I'm going through each 4x8 board with a prybar and scraping off as much stuff as I can. Vacuuming it up, then banging each nail a couple times to make sure the are fully seated; prying up all the ones they bent over, and banging in a new one next to it.

Am I on the right track here?

Am I wasting my time trying scraping up all these little spots? I know that "hardwood is only as good as the prep beneath" or whatever, but I don't know how anal is too anal.

I also will have a few high spots to knock down, especially along edges between sheets of subfloor. What's best for this, belt sander?

Or should I just rent a big floor sander and hit the whole floor?

I mentioned this in the "3/8" plywood over 5/8" OSB thread" too...

I had thought I had 3/4" subfloor, but I was finally able to measure tonight after removing a floor receptacle, and I only have 5/8" also. I too am going to be installing 3/4" solid hardwood. I take it then, then I am going to have to add an addition layer of plywood over this? This will have to go perpendicular to the first layer correct? 3/8" is how thick I want to go?

I was reading the sticky and it states: (my flooring is in bold)

BEST: 1" x 6" solid #2 or better douglas fir or frame grade pine boards installed diagonally across floor joists 16" oc.
NEXT: 3/4" T&G Sturdi Floor plywood subflooring installed at 90 deg. to joists 16" oc.
Next: 5/8" T&G plywood subfloor installed at 90 deg to joists 16" oc.
Next: 3/4" OSB (Orientated Strand Board) T&G subflooring installed 90 deg to joists 16" oc.

Does this mean I can just use it as is? I will be running my floor 90* perpendicular to the joists.

Your 5/8" thick plywood subfloor is the MINIMUM acceptable thickness IF the floor joists are spaced 16" OC AND you lay the 3/4" maple perpendicular to the directions of the joists. Unless the existing subfloor is pretty bouncy, I would not think you will need to add more plywood.

Thank you Gary. I hate to hear that it meets the minimum acceptable standard. My joists are 2x8, 16"OC. Flooring will be going perpendicular. I just walked around, ran around, and jumped around. The floor does not feel bouncy or weak at all. House was built in '79 (And I'd like to punch a few of the people who did the drywall work LOL).

So I should just continue scraping this crap off and roll with it then eh? Cheaper and a lot less work for me; so long as it will hold up well.

On a side note...in the areas I have squeaks or have to add more nails since the current nails are bent over, it looks like I should use screws for obvious reasons. I have some 3" decking screws. Is there any problem to using these, other than being overkill? Or should I get shorter ones around 2" or 1 1/2"...

Well, those long screws will work with a 18 volt drill/driver. Try them with a 9 volt and forget it. Yes, they are overkill. It's 5/8" plywood. You could use 1&1/2" screws. The reason it's not bouncy? It's the second floor! Lot's of interior walls to support those joists and less span= no bounce! As long as the subfloor is pretty flat, you should have no problems. What are you scraping off? The subfloor doesn't need to look good. It just needs to be flat and solid without BIG lumps of crud. Very small, tiny paint drips and minor texture spray doesn't matter. You'll cover that up with 15 lb. asphalt felt paper, butted together, NOT overlapped (because your floor is pre-finished). Just do a good vacuum and when the vacuum head bumps into something (usually a nail head or clump of texture) just beat it down with your hammer till it's flat. If the texture spray is 1/4" thick, then yeah, you'll need to scrape that off. It will be fine as long as it's a decent brand of wood and you nail it down properly. 5/8" plywood subflooring works fine for 3/4" solid when installing perpendicular to the joists. Take your time on the install. Measure twice, cut once.

Excellent then. I'll go get some shorter screws. I've got an 18V, but might as well save them for the deck or my new workbench.

Thanks for the tip; I'll save my effort then and just knock off the big stuff.

Is a belt sander the cheapest/efficient way to knock down the high spots/edges?

Do you own a belt sander? If so use it with 40 or 50 grit paper. If you have to rent a tool I'd go with an edger.

Haha well, I own one now; I bought one last night. Figured I'll have future uses for it as well.

I'm going through right now banging down all the nails, and popping in a 2" screw next to them. I don't think they even used ring shanked nails. Lots of loose nails; maybe overkill...but hopefully in the future I won't have to worry about it loosening up or squeaking.

Not overkill at all, that's the way it should be done.

Thanks for the reinforcement; I was starting to think I was going crazy after I got about 1/2 way through the 5 lb box.

I tell you what, trying to knock down the high spots with this belt sander ain't no fun! I think I have 36 grit on it. Very time consuming.

Edit: It's 50 grit, I definitely need to get some 36 grit on here.

If you were using a edger sander, you'd be done now.