I want to tear out the carpet in my 2 story home and replace it with hardwood. There are a few things that are confusing me though and hopefully you fine folks can shed come light.

* Bathrooms, the fireplace and the kitchen have tile that is the same height as wood (3/4"). How do I transition? I have seen where folks run a strip along the length of the tile (the edge of the tile is decorative, so I want to avoid a T), but I don't see how that locks in with the rest of the wood floor. Or is there a better method?

Here is an example I found on another forum: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...sportland3.jpg

* Does no one make prefinished risers? I prefer to use prefinished everything so I can do the install myself. I have two flights of steps and would love to match the riser to the treads. The stair nose is easy enough to find, but risers seem to be a challenge. Or is it OK to just face nail hardwood floor strips to the riser? Is that hokey?
* Who makes a decent prefinished hardwood? Is it safe to buy from a box store as I know with many products they cheapen the big box version?
* For a novice such as myself, how much overage would it be advisable to order? 5%?


Thanks for any insight.

If your finished floor is the same height as the adjacent tile you can leave a small gap between the two and fill that gap with a sanded latex caulk, which may be available in the same color as your grout, or in a color close to your wood floor. These two flooring materials do not lock in to each other. I was not able to see a photo at the link you provided.
I would shop first at a wood flooring distributor instead of buying from a the big box or liquidator. The quality of the materials will probably be better, and you will also be supporting a small business that supports your community. They may also have pre-finished risers available for you. If the existing tread was cut into the stringer, you will also need to install a skirt board to cover where you cut back the nosing. If you don't have a lot of experience, it may be easier for you to install paint grade skirt boards and risers, and paint them. I have seen many risers, and treads made of pre-finished wood flooring, and site finished jobs tend to look more professional. It is often difficult to find nosing that really matches the flooring.
How much extra wood you need to order depends on the quality of the flooring you install and on how chopped up the job you are doing is. Great big rooms with four corners done with a high quality product require very little scrap.