Dear Friends,
My first post. I know I'll learn a lot here. Big DIY guy: anxious to learn. I'm finishing a staircase; 6 steps up; landing; 7 steps up to the second floor. Oak treads, oak risers. Does the skirt board go on first, then the riser, right to the edge of the skirt, then the tread?

 

The skirt can be done either way. I will tell you that if you put the skirt up first, the treads will take a ton of patience if you want them to look perfect.... tight, no gaps and with no dings or scratches on the skirt. Because if there is a gap on the ends of your treads and risers, you will be looking right down into that gap as you go up the stairs.

​​​​​​If you put the skirt up last it also will take a lot of patience, but it can hide the edge of all your treads and risers since it would lay on top just like the baseboard will on your landing. Because of that, you may be happier if you do the skirt last, even though it's a pain to fit. It's what I would do if it was all going to be stained. If the skirt is getting painted... while the treads are stained, then I would do the skirt first, because any gaps could be caulked.

Every one is different, but good planning will usually tell you which way is best.

Also, are you building new or recovering an old staircase? Reason I ask is that you need to make sure that no riser height varies from any other riser by more than 3/8". That includes the first and last steps and any landings. EVERY step has to be very close to the same height. So you can't put new treads on top of old treads because of that code.

 

Thank you, XSleeper. The second floor was done in 1988 and the contractor left plywood treads and risers for me to finish. Life intervened and I'm only getting to it now, now that I'm retired. I did the lower 6 steps wrong in 1988; I know that now. I've read the building codes as well as all the books in the library. This site won't let me attach a photo. I retro-fitted the downstairs skirt by nailing a 4" X 6' length of masonite about 8" over the tread edges, then cutting shapes from file folders to fit the contours exactly and taping them to the masonite; then transcribing those contours onto a 1 X 12 pine board for the skirt.

 

There are links on how to attach photos. You have to click on go advanced, use the paper clip and show it where the photo is then hit upload.

 

Welcome to the forums Greg!

pic posting instructions - How to insert pictures.

As far as I know all the jobs I've worked on the skirt was installed first and then the treads/risers. I guess different carpenters have different methods, the main thing is to get a tight fit.

If you stain [or not] and apply 2 coats of poly to your oak prior to installation it will be both quicker/easier and the staircase will only be out of operation while 1 coat of poly dries.