We are almost done installing BR 111 engineered flooring. However, we have a step down family room. We purchased stair nosing (pictured here http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... neered.htm) and are not sure how to properly install it. We floated the floor. We started laying the planks at the opposite side of the room as the step. So now that we have reached the step, do we still float the floor and just nail the flooring under the nosing? Or do we actually glue the last board to the nosing, in which case that side of the floor would no longer be floating?

The floor is in both of the adjacent rooms if that makes any difference.

Thanks for your help!

Ah yes, the old stair nose on a floater question. And a good one it is. There are two ways of handling it, and it depends on which nosing style you have. Tarkett, Award and Kahrs (and others) often use a "lip over" style that allows the floor to tuck under the nosing and yet the nosing is glued/nailed down. It is kinda bulky looking. Award made a flush one where you would glue the tongues of the flooring into the groove of the nosing. Or use a slip tongue to engage two grooves. This way, the nosing would be flush with the floor. I prefer the nose to be flush but it does prevent the floor from normal expansion or contraction. In a smaller install, I think the flush nose will be fine. In a large install, safer to go with the "lip over" style.

The nosing we bought is designed to be flush with the floor - ie glue the tongue into the groove.

The other problem is that the last board that will be inserted into the nosing needs to be cut to a shorter width. For example the boards are 6" but the available space is only 4". So if we cut the board, we will either be losing the tongue or the groove on one side, how do we compensate for that?

Thanks for your help!

I could not get your link to work but BR 111 should have an overlap nosing available. I use the overlap design in the situation you have and only use the flush nosing on my stair treads.

Unless you want to install that nosing as a floater too, without fastening it, you need to get the over lip kind or buy a "T" molding and maintain the expansion space.

What Jerry said. I think some manufacturers call it a stepnose. I know Mannington does.