I have gotten an estimate on installing pre-engineered wood in our DR, LR, and BR, which will be an almost exact match to what we have in the surrounding rooms. I forgot to even ask about the stairs, which are carpeted!

1. What typically is done for stairs when the rest of the floors are hardwood? Will it look odd if we keep the carpeting?
2. If we decided to do the stairs with hardwood, will it add signifcantly to the labor cost (i.e., is it really harder to do stairs than the rest of the floor?).
3. If we decide to not do the stairs, but think we might later, should we go ahead and order the wood so we will at least have it if we decide to do it down the road (i.e., to avoid having to find matching wood that may or may not be there)?

Thanks for the wonderful advice that I know I will receive from this forum! I have learned so much in the short time that I have been visiting here.

IMO stairs are a natural for Hardwood, I love the look. Not only are they beautiful , but functionally it's an excellent choice.

I install alot of staircases, and it's a whole different ballgame than installing the floor. They can be somewhat labor intensive. Many of my customers will include their staircase, if not right away, I install it down the road. It is a good idea to purchase the materials if you can, to avoid problems with availability later. If you go that route,(purchasing the materials ahead of time), be sure to store them properly.

And stair treads look way better with less labor than trying make stairs out of planks and stair nose. Most of the better manufactures will offer stair treads. Or you can order them unfinished and stain to match.

Thanks, Stephen and Howard! I am going to call our contractor before he places the order and ask about a. ordering more wood NOW vs. later and b. stair treads. Howard, how would the wood need to be stored. EEK! Something I didn't think about! That might be a show-stopper for us because we have nowhere to store it ((((((( But I can be creative when I need to )))))

MM

You would want to keep the wood flat and dry. If at all possible somewhere in your home, ( I had a customer store it flat under a bed). If you need to store it in the garage...make sure it's up off the concrete, ( like flat on a pallet), & wrap it with plastic.

Stephen was right about treds....if available I think their more desirable, ( and less labor). I have some pictures of stairs both ways on my site.

OK - we do have a garage, I just didn't know if that was suitable! Thanks, Howard! I can keep it covered and on a pallet. Thank you!!!!! Also, I have no idea what a tred is, so I'll take a look at your site! Thank you so very much!

MM