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andrea_tigulis

Baseboards transition down the stairs

10 years ago

Help! We're remodeling our basement and using 5" baseboards. The contractor has installed the trim on the stairs and the transition from the landing to the shoe looks awful in my opinion. He is saying that when using the taller baseboards this is the way it's done, and not to run the 5" trim down the shoe. Anyone have any solutions?? I have spent lots of time searching online for pics to show him, but can't find any specific to this situation and trim size. Thanks!!


Comments (10)

  • 10 years ago

    Thank you for your response! The skirt was existing, which is why I'm assuming there is a difference in thickness of the base molding and skirt. And I'm not sure why they did the thiner shoe on the skirt?

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    No. Just... No.

    I did all the finish work on my own stairs, so I researched this piece a lot: how to transition baseboard from a landing to another run of stairs. I'll try to paste a photo from Houzz from my Stairs ideabook that shows what it should look like. The skirt on the stairs should continue up and meet the base on the landing.

    New front staircase · More Info


    Here is a different way of trimming the same situation:

    Greenview Private Residence · More Info

    Personally I prefer the top option, and that's what I did in my own house.

    It should not look like what you showed - you are correct about that! Good luck with resolution.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    In other words, the carpenter should remove the baseboard on the right, remove the shoe, add a piece to match the skirt that extends up to where the right-side base was, and then cut the base the meet at that vertical line. That's what I did and what is shown in the top photo.

    The joints between old and new skirt pieces shouldn't be an issue either since it's painted. Imperfections can be hidden.

    I'm not typically flabbergasted by what people try to get away with, but... wow. My carpenter sensibilities are quite offended ;)

  • 10 years ago

    Thank you so much! I'm glad to know I wasn't being extra picky!!

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    He's got to bisect that angle and don't forget the nosing on the landing either.

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    That looks like an east coast routed stair stringer. Up here in the NW we don't do that. Probably (imhop) the best way to finish it out without going crazy is just run the same base Down it. Over here we never see that come up but I almost took a job in north Carolina for "southern staircase" very large staircase specialty company . And was surprised at how stairs are typically done down there. 2x6 prerouted stringers that double as skirt boards. It makes for fast install. But an ugly oversized skirtboard.

    Happy skirting

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Just saw 2x6 supposed to say 2x12

  • 6 years ago

    Dream Home finishers nailed it. Right now I'm battling the same issue with transitioning my speed base at the bottom and top of the stairs into the 5/4 stringer/skirt

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Yeah, I agree that was not a quality job. There is a product that we have been using that has been pretty popular in our market, making molding transitions look "better".


    This product we offer and VERY simple to do yourself.


    Like the video, you place it every 16" then clip it in.


    Cladding

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