I'm installing 3/4" brazilian cherry on the first and second floor of my new construction house and am having carpet on the stairs. The stair railing and landing tread (or is it shoe rail?) going up the stairs will all be painted white but I'm planning to use the brazilian cherry as the landing tread at the top of the stairs to be consistent with the 2nd story flooring. The stair railing and the stairs are separated so the railing will not be installed on each stair but rather on a runner next to it.

Has anyone done/seen this before and is this the best way to go to avoid having white landing tread against the hardwood on the 2nd floor? I considered installing the hardwood landing tread up the stairs also, but am concerned about the increased cost.

This is my first time installing hardwood flooring (I've done tile and wood laminate but not around stairs).

Any other issues I should be considering?

Graham

if you're laying down flooring on the second floor, you'll be using stair nose up there in brazilian cherry...correct?

when/if you have faced nailed any boards using brazilian cherry, did you use a gun or by hand? either way, what did you use to finish the nail holes?

Yes, I think so. I've been researching but am still not completely familiar with all the terminology. there will be open railing on the 2nd floor on both sides of the stairs forming an L shape. The hardwood would be installed with a bullnosed piece along the edge of each side of the stairs. I'm not sure if that's called stair nose or landing tread but the ballusters would attach to it. I think that's what you're referring to.

As for going up the stairs (landing tread, runner???), the stair railing will look like the top picture below. What I had also been considering is using the brazilian cherry under the ballusters to carry the hardwood from the first floor to the 2nd floor. My stairs are built similar to the top picture in this link:



http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwoodinstaller/stairs-prep.htm

I will not be installing until next month but plan to purchase a pneumatic nailer. I haven't decided on staples versus nails so am not sure there will be any nail holes

Should the carpet begin on the stop step and break up the hardwood or on the step below?