Works. I hope to spend a few days there this year and do some short classes on roof framing and stairbuillding. What a great heritage! Game on! The builder installed the stair crooked so there are shims (actually the trim from the floor used as shims) on the sides of the stairs! Norm, The first 20 years is boot camp, grasshoppers. The key is to do exactly as you’re planning. I was visiting Tyger River Prison to see their Carpentry program. I agree, it’s the final product that counts. I understand the principle. They don’t believe me when I tell them. Tom, In the following years, prior to teaching at Williamson beginning in 1964 (which he did for 27 years), his company site-built and installed over 7,000 flights of stairs, most of which had scribed skirt boards. I will never forget this one. The principles are the same. Instead, place the quarter round under the tread lip down the riser and on the tread. That first tread you’ve scribed is now on the floor. I have attached an image of the curved portion with skirting. What’s the solution? So the distance from the first tread to the second tread ends up being the distance from the FLOOR to the first tread (and they could be different and won’t match). Great job. What would be the best way to determine the width or height of the skirt board? So from this distance, use a level to mark a straight line vertically near the bottom end of the skirt board. From the tone of your questions my supposition is that you are not familiar with scribing. At a JLC Live stair building seminar taught by Jed Dixon, I talked with Jed and Don Jackson (editor of JLC) about installing skirt boards and how I was taught to install the treads and risers first, and then scribe the skirts over the top of them. Is it possible to add a skirt board on top of carpet or would it not look good? Lay a straight edge (board, yardstick, etc. ) From that line draw anther line at a right angle that extends to the intersection of the riser and the tread. The width of the skirt depends upon the height of your risers and the width of the tread. A well written article and good diagrams too. Next, change the brad point from the riser to the unit run dimension (or a little more). the far right side of the skirt board, find 7" on the inside of the square, and put the 7" mark at the right side top corner of the skirt. You can try it “on the cheap”. I used to teach them ticksticking and fitting all sorts of panels to a brick , stone, and siding walls. Please let me know your thoughts on that plan, I would love to hear your pros and cons on it. I did the skirt boards. Thank you! ” Different strokes for different folks” If the stairs get carpeted and a few minor splinters wouldn’t matter a regular blade would work fine also. Step 7 Diagram. Trimming out each stair is time-consuming and will look extremely busy. Norm, I’m going to be attempting this task on my townhouse stairs soon (which include a ‘switchback’) — I’ll be sure to do some practice runs with a bunch of old mdf I’ve got lying around (thank goodness), but could you clarify something for me? That will show you how the scribing process will go. The savings I make will be sent to the RNLI I prefer coping because the joint line of site is not staring you in the face as you climb the stairs. Because you don’t have to cut a piece of skirting around stair nosing and multiple rises and runs. I don’t know what you have planned for the top of the skirt board. Simple and clever, the way carpentry should always be. In the stairs you reference the stairs were not built correctly. Norm. Article by Homebuilding & Renovating. Lastly, I too think Jim meant close to the heart. There are jigs available for the job or you can make one that will speed the process. I am going to try to tackle this project very soon as I hate how my stairs look now. Do I create my scribe to match the 11 3/8th’s or the 10 1/4? It also helps when the stairs are particularly uneven that you leave only about 1&1/4 ” above the tips of the nosings so you can “spring” the skirt into place. Some of the brads would run out and off the skirt, but the others would come in behind and finish up the markings. I typically cut to the outside edge of the nosing with whatever saw I’m using to cut out the tread profile. Thanks Norm ! It keeps it’s point all day. I would round the edge of the scribing stick that contacts the carpet so that you can press it into the carpet without it snagging/catching as you move it. I must comment that there is no magazine that can compete with this sort of instruction and I hope TIC continues to attract writing of this caliber. An alternative method, what the article describes, is to install the risers and treads and then scribe the skirts over them. It would be a great sense of pride if you did it yourself. If I’m not careful that could make me envious ! You may not be able to use skirt boards on both sides of your stair, depending on it's placement in your home. Source(s): https://shrink.im/a9DKt. A skirt board on your stairs is a long, unbroken piece of trim just for your stairs. I’ve had friends give me all the reasons why it won’t work. How thick is the wood you use? This trim is for paint grade and closes gaps between stair parts and the wall for a finished look. If it’s your first time scribing something like this I’d start carefully. MDF and softwood are ideal for painting, while hardwood can be finished to match hardwood stair treads. Any ideas on how to mount the uncut skirt board for scribing? As all the others have said, thanks for a great article that is really priceless when it comes to be used. Skirting Boards: How to Choose. Rob, A couple thoughts. That’s ok as long as they can remain straight. Awesome tip on skirt boards. Gary and his staff made this article enjoyable. Great article and a new approach for me. It’s important that you check all the risers and all the treads for the one with the largest dimension (highest riser, widest tread) and set the nail in the scribe stick just a hair more than that dimension. I’ll try to answer any additional questions you have. In Pa. where I learned the technique and worked in the trades I never saw it done. If stairs already in place, use a 1/2” decorative molding or trim several inches above steps and then apply a different paint over the molding and space below it. It was closer but still no screamin heck. Paul, If opting for softwood lumber as your stair skirting, it will likely be pine or another softwood species that is commonly found in the framing lumber that is local to your area. If yours are rough lumber stairs meant to be covered I’d consider installing “retro” treads and risers first and then scribing over the new stairs. Thank you. I just wish I had more time to work with more experienced people so I could learn it from someone instead of trying to figure it all out myself. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all the JLC articles and books, thisiscarpentry.com, Gary’s website and other resources that allow me to learn new concepts that increase my profit and allow me to take on jobs I wouldn’t be able to do without the things I continue to learn. If you do that and are a reasonably experienced carpenter you’ll experience the same thing. I never saw the stair Genie tool until today. My next project is the staircase which is currently carpeted, and will soon receive hardwood. Features. When you set your countertop on the base cabinets you line up the front edge parallel with the face of the base cabinet top rails, push the top against the wall and set your scriber distance to the furtherest distance that the top will have to reach in order that the entire length of the top will fit after you’ve cut it. This product is good on one face, sanded and ready to be cut to fit. Pre-cut stair stringers are available in a variety of sizes to make this part of the project a bit easier. I hope you have the opportunity to try it. Sharon, Gene, Shadow gaps may be on trend, but the trusty skirting board is still a popular choice. Ok, a while back I posted here about having a stair skirt job to do, and was going to try the scribing method as described by Norm Yeager. Whenever I run molding in a room I start away from the entrance so the joints are not as visible. I had to pull a few other tricks out of my bag to get this to fit. Stair skirt choices include those made from red oak, white oak, poplar or maple. One advantage that I’ve found in scribing the skirt over the treads and risers is that the joint between the skirt and the finish stairs is not staring you in the face as you walk up the steps. Rather than using your regular baseboard trim around each stair, it is easier to run a single piece of material diagonal along the length of the stairs. (or you could just lay a 4′ level on the nosings, mark your line on the top of it and measure from that line). Thanks for the info. Thanks so much! The base cap should transition from the existing baseboard at the top of the stairs to the base cap on top of the skirtboard. The current Toll Brothers background certainly seems to fit to what is happening here. Norm. An apron is the trim piece beneath a balustrade and is horizontal to the flooring. Congratulations on a job well done. Or at least I do! I did attach a photo of my steps that I had hoped to add a trim board to below them (my second question). Terrie, If you have a cutoff of of the retro tread with moulding trace it on the skirtboard just like the article shows you do with the piece of tread nosing. By doing so, you can connect the trim at the top of your stairs to the bottom. A skirt board is installed to the finished wall (sheet rock, paneling, etc.) I’m not grasping yet (maybe will when I start cutting) the use of the scribe. Choose from our high-quality boards made of 17 different wood species. It’s quick, and it provides a better finish. Other pressed board, such as plywood, also works when the veneer is used on the exposed edge. I have been through Woodruff but not to the airplane show. Skirting board is an architectural element used to enhance the appearance of a staircase. A finished skirt board on a flight of stairs is one of those tasks in finish carpentry that remains in prominent view, always open to critique. If you drill it you have to center the hole precisely, hope the nosing is a perfect radius and risk tearout with the drill bit. Once you’re finished cutting out for the treads and risers, slide the skirt into place and check for the “$20 fit” (a $1 bill will do, in a pinch). In the end the client was pleased with the job, however I was not. I still made money but I gotta figure that those extra few days were a learning curve! Re: sharing; just read that some high-powered scientists are starting to use public/free sharing sites to publish their results. Thanks for all your inciteful knowledge on the JLC Forums. From my reccollection the current Toll Bros, Bruce and Robert are an attorney and an accountant respectively. Thanks for a great article. Whenever I installed a newel as shown on the right side top of stairs I always got the newels with the longer bottom sections. The scriber stays the same all the way along the stone wall. I also pre-drill each section of the skirt where it fits against the tread, close to the riser, and install a 4d finish nail. From all I’ve seen for stair remodels, the treads look like they’re pretty flushed to the walls (or skirts) on the ends. Shadow gaps may be on trend, but the trusty skirting board is still a popular choice. Aug 14, 2017 - Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. If I’m incorrect no offense intended. Norm: thank you very much for such a clear explanation and great diagrams. On jack rafters, etc. Norm, i got to tell you when i said above about measuring .i only measure one tread and rise and use that to layout the rest with a pitch block or square. I also appreciate the work that goes into these articles as they are worth more than we pay for them and that is for sure. I think 1×12 x16′ would work for your job but not positive. I’ve attached a new image that I think shows what you are talking about. While that’s one way of learning I never thought it was the best way. Hi Norm, If it fits you could scribe the whole length out of the plywood or kerf 3/4 ” material and go for then whole thing. Recently I noticed a set of stairs at a friend’s house that looked busy – he used his regular baseboard trim to trim the entire staircase. Make sure your skirtboard has a straight top edge. It is the depth of the tread material and not the unit run. A couple thoughts. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more. I’ve never scribed over carpet. I spent several hours coming up with essentially the same method as yours, then another few hours teaching it to one of my trim guys. This old dog still loves a new trick! I’m 62 now and still feel the same way. Now to the question: I have a 14 foot run ( 12 steps) with an inch-higher rise at the top and a 1/2 height step at the bottom. If a mistake is made, the world doesn’t end, nor the job for that matter. I don’t think you can beat a handsaw for accuracy. (The top and bottom stairs are a slightly different height than the rest. Michelle, I try to get as close to quartered sawn or rift . Thank you for adding this image it really clears it up perfectly for me! It’s great to hear of an organization of people willing to sacrifice to do the rifght thing. Next, remove the skirt from the wall and, using a sample tread block and a sharp pencil, draw the nosing, using the slight arc you previously scribed from the tip of the nosing as your reference point. In SC, the standard, by-and-large, has been: site-built stairs with strings installed by the framer, and the finish stairs installed by the trim carpenter or stair builder who comes in after the fact. Stair skirt boards are used wherever a set of stairs has a side abutting a wall. David, When I cut the tread I cut past the intersecting point of the riser to where the nosing starts it’s radius. Tack the long straight top edge to the drywall along a chalk line @ the width of the board, butt join and overlay a scab for long lengths. etc. It wasn’t so critical on that job as the stairs were going to receive carpet, however I know that when clients see work they expect it to be really neat.