How to Install Hardwood Floor Stairs With a Bullnose

Hardwood stairs enhance the beauty and value of a home. Although you can install simple wood planks on stairs, consider installing bullnose treads -- the part that you step on -- that add decorative detailing and give the stairs a finished touch. Each bullnose tread features a half-rounded front that results in a softer, less severe appearance to the stairs. Install these treads flush with the riser -- the vertical part of the step -- directly below, or allow them to overhang by 1/4 inch. Take accurate measurements to be sure they fit snugly.

Measuring tape
Circular saw
Wood glue
Application brush
Rubber mallet
Hammer
Finishing nails
Countersinking tool
Putty
Putty knife

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width of the stair tread, and depth, or the distance from the back of the tread to the front. If you want the bullnose tread to overhang the step by 1/4 inch, include it in the depth measurement.
- 2
  Transfer the measurements to the bullnose tread and cut along the lines using a circular saw.
- 3
  Apply wood glue to the back and sides of the tread, and to the stringers -- the wooden side supports running from the top of the staircase to the bottom -- on each side of the topmost stair.
- 4
  Center and lower the bullnose tread on the stair so it rests against the glued section of the stringer. Ensure its rounded front faces outward and falls flush with or extends the edge of the stairs by 1/4 inch, depending on whether you wanted the overhang or not.
- 5
  Secure the bullnose tread by tapping it lightly with a rubber mallet. Drive finishing nails every 4 inches along the edge of the bullnose tread to secure it to the riser below. Also, drive evenly spaced nails, at a 45-degree angle, through the edge of the tread into the stringer.
- 6
  Counter sink each nail so it falls below the surface of the surrounding wood. Set the tip of a countersinking tool over each nail head and tap it lightly until it falls below the surrounding wood surface.
- 7
  Scoop tinted wood putty with a putty knife and insert it into the nail holes until it fills the gap and falls flush with the surround wood surface. Scrape excess putty off and leave it to dry according to the time specified on the label’s directions.

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