Anybody seen it before? I've seen it three times on three different occasions here in the Detroit area. It surely can't be the same installer because the houses were built in different time periods, or 1960's, 80's, and 1991. Guys I talk to say they see it all the time...normal It looks really out of place to me.

If you can't see it. It's a header board (2 1/4" strip) against the actual nosing. They call it a tie board. Guess that terminology is different all over too.

I like the idea. It makes the top look more like the treads.

Really? Looks hackish to me.

I've also seen a bit of this or more than you would expect as nearly all site finished hardwood floors are installed (or so I'm told) before the casings in new construction. They guessed wrong on which way the door swings. I can only think of two jobs when I was active in Florida where the casings were not on.

Probably wouldn't have been so noticeable if it's grain was a better match to the nosing. Also, have to wonder what sequence the installation was done, stairs or flooring first. The stair nosing graining is similar to the stair treads and flooring. A lot of the stair nosing pieces that are bull nosed and pre-grooved seem to be really straight grained and clear. Could the header board have been installed to lock down the ends of the boards that run perpendicular to it?