Hi,

I'm planning a laminate flooring installation in my basement, and am trying to figure out the transitions that will need to be done.

Where the flooring meets the basement staircase, there is a 4x4 vertical post on one side, which is located a little beyond the last/lowest step. This post is the lower end-point of the handrail, and is decorative on top, and a plain 4x4 post where it meets the floor (the other side of the staircase runs alongside a wall, and has no handrail, so that is no problem). The staircase and post are stained pine.

I plan to use quarter-round to cover the gap where the flooring meets the staircase riser, but am not sure how to handle where the flooring meets the post.

I can think of two solutions...

1) use a jamb-saw to undercut the post on three sides by about 1/2 inch, treating it like a door jamb, installing the flooring into the undercut, leaving 1/4 inch clearance

2) or, install flooring around the post and try to cover the 1/4 inch gap with some caulking that matches the flooring as best as possible.

or...?

Any ideas?

Thanks.