PROJECT STORY · MAPLE FLOORING & STAIR CAPPING · BRADFORD
From Carpet to Dark Maple: Flooring & Stair Capping in Bradford
The original carpet in this Bradford home was coming apart. We removed it, installed approximately 1,800 square feet of dark maple flooring and capped the stairs to match. Custom nosing, new posts and round metal balusters finished the transition around the staircase, with the spindles fitted directly into the wood rather than covered by bottom shoes.
- Location
- Bradford, Ontario
- Original condition
- Deteriorating original carpet in a home more than 30 years old
- Flooring
- Approximately 1,800 square feet of dark maple
- Staircase
- New tread caps stained to match, with white risers and stringers
- Landing edges
- Custom nosing around the staircase opening
- Railing
- New posts in the existing design and 5/8-inch round decorative balusters without bottom shoes
- READY TO REPLACE THE CARPET ON YOUR FLOORS AND STAIRS?
The carpet was coming apart
The home was more than 30 years old, and the carpet had been there just as long. It was no longer simply looking worn. It had begun to disintegrate, with loose material lifting into the air.
The owners had had enough of it. The plan was to remove the carpet throughout the house and replace it with dark maple , including a coordinated change to the carpeted staircase.
That meant treating the floors, stairs and landing edges as one job. Leaving the staircase behind would have left part of the old carpet problem in place.
Maple floors and matching stair caps
We installed approximately 1,800 square feet of dark maple flooring throughout the house. The staircase received new tread caps , stained to match the floor.
Capping gave the steps new wood surfaces rather than relying on refinishing the original treads. White risers and stringers set off the darker caps and kept the edges of the staircase clearly defined.
The floor and stairs needed to work together from both directions: looking up from the entrance and looking down from the landing. Matching the cap stain to the maple helped carry the new finish through those views.
Finishing the edge of the stair opening
The flooring work also included new custom nosing around the staircase opening.
Nosing finishes the exposed edge where the floor meets the stairwell. Here, it also provided the connection for the new landing balusters, so it was part of both the flooring and railing work .
We fitted the nosing around the opening and installed the round spindles directly into it. There are no bottom shoes covering the points where the metal meets the wood.
A cleaner spindle connection
The new spindles are round, 5/8 inch in diameter, with double-knuckle, double-leaf decorative details.
Without bottom shoes, the connection stays simple: each spindle meets the nosing directly, without a separate collar around its base. That leaves the edge of the new flooring and the line of the railing easy to see.
The decorative details give the railing its character, while the direct connections keep the base from becoming crowded with extra fittings.
New posts in a familiar shape
The posts were replaced, but their design stayed the same. The renovation did not depend on changing every familiar shape in the house.
New maple flooring, stained stair caps and white risers made the larger change. The replacement posts and metal spindles completed it, giving the staircase an updated finish while retaining a connection to its original design.
The deteriorating carpet was gone from the rooms and stairs. In its place was a wood finish carried through the house, with the nosing and railing worked into the edges rather than treated as separate jobs.
Planning answers
What homeowners can learn from this project
How much flooring was installed?
Approximately 1,800 square feet of dark maple flooring was installed throughout the house as part of removing the old carpet.
Were the stairs capped or refinished?
The stairs received new tread caps, which were stained to match the maple flooring. The risers and stringers were painted white. This was a capping retrofit, not simply a colour change to the original tread surfaces.
Why was new nosing installed around the staircase?
The custom nosing finished the edge of the new floor around the stair opening. It also provided the connection for the landing balusters, bringing the flooring and railing work together.
What gives the baluster installation its clean appearance?
The round spindles are fitted directly into the new nosing without bottom shoes. There is no separate collar covering each base, so the metal meets the wood with a simple connection.
Were the new posts a different design?
No. The posts were replaced with new ones in the same design. The change came from combining those posts with the new flooring, stained stair caps and round decorative metal spindles.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
Related projects, guidance and services.
Supporting work · Stair capping and custom railing work
Stair Capping & Custom Oak Details in Thornhill
A squared starting step, new red-oak caps and a custom eight-foot post brought the staircase into line with the existing floor.
Supporting work · Carpet-to-hardwood stair capping renovation
From Worn Carpet to Oak: A Dust-Controlled Stair Renovation in Richmond Hill
See how Strataline converted a carpeted Richmond Hill staircase to oak treads, white risers and new railings using dust-controlled methods and waterborne finishes.
Supporting work · Connected ceiling, hardwood flooring, staircase and painting renovation
Coordinating Smooth Ceilings, Hardwood Floors and a Curved Staircase
See how Strataline coordinated popcorn ceiling removal, smooth ceiling finishing, hardwood installation and a complete stair transformation under one dust-controlled renovation.
Supporting work ·
Should You Refinish Stairs or Install Hardwood Tread Caps?
Learn when existing hardwood stairs can be refinished and when carpeted or damaged stairs are better suited to hardwood tread caps.
Ready to replace the carpet on your floors and stairs?
Send us photographs of the rooms, staircase and upper landing. We’ll review the flooring, stair caps, nosing and railing together so the work can be planned as one renovation.