Hi there,

First, thanks for all the great advice I've received through this forum. Thanks to the folks here, I'm half way through my own hardwood installation.

But, just when you think you're on a roll... the stairs show up. My stairs are carpeted and I don't know how to proceed with the hardwood install where the stairs and floor meet. It looks like the stairs were carpeted and then the peel-and-stick tile installed butted up against it. The carpet is tucked underneath the plywood for the stairs.

In other areas I undercut the jambs and slid the flooring under. But I can't do this with carpet without ruining the carpet install on the stairs.

Last... can I use a jamb saw on the post that appears in the photos? It's actually the stair railing post.

Any suggestions?

Use the jamb saw on the trim and peel the stapled carpet off of the riser and install again after the wood is installed.

I'd just install the flooring to the carpet. It's fluffy enough to allow some expansion area without being seen. But then you may want to put hardwood on the stairs at a later date and the gap may be too wide.

But, you may be able to get the flooring under the carpet depending on where the carpet strip was attached to the stair riser or how high off the subfloor it's located.

The trim and/or stringer is okay to under-cut, but I wouldn't cut into the post because it will weaken the railing/banister. Could be unsafe. As far as the carpet goes, I'd remove and reinstall it.