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The choice of floor covering for an indoor staircase requires careful consideration, as the material you choose will have an impact on the surrounding decor. The location of the staircase and its function are important factors, and you should also consider whether the staircase is open or closed, whether it leads upstairs or down to the basement and how many steps there are. Hardwood or laminate flooring, carpet, ceramic tile, linoleum, or simply paint or concrete are the main options offered. Hardwood For classic style and elegance, nothing beats hardwood. This type of flooring adapts to all shapes of stair treads and is available in a range of different wood species, finishes and colours. Oak is renowned for its hardness and durability and is therefore a popular choice in high-traffic areas; however, most other species of hardwood (yellow birch, maple, etc.) can be used on stairs. Wood can vary in price significantly, depending on the species and finish chosen. Wooden stair treads come either untreated or pre-varnished or stained. If you buy them untreated you will need to coat them with polyurethane varnish, recommended for its high resistance. Varnish does tend to change colour slightly or yellow with age, so re-sanding and re-varnishing is often necessary after a few years. To keep the wood looking good, the stairs should be washed either with a product specially designed for hardwood floors or simply with water (without vinegar or detergent). Installing hardwood on stairs can be done by any experienced do-it-yourselfer equipped with the right tools. Laminate (floating) flooring Laminate is a very popular flooring option that can also be used on the stairs. Available in a wide array of colours and qualities, laminate is made primarily of high-density fibre board (HDF) overlaid with a photographic image and a protective layer of lacquer. Most laminate floors are made to look like wood, but some companies also offer products that mimic ceramic tile. Laminate is an economical alternative to real hardwood or ceramic tile, and some of the thinner (6 mm) products are sold at very competitive prices, but they are less durable than the sturdier, more expensive options offered in thicknesses of up to 12 mm. Laminate flooring is very simple to install and can go over most existing surfaces, with the exception of carpet. A membrane is laid underneath the laminate boards to absorb sound and protect them from humidity. The boards interlock with one another and do not need to be secured to the sub-floor. Hardwood stair nosing is required to finish the tread. Laminate flooring is not so well-suited to spiral or curved staircases, due to the cutting required. As well, this type of flooring can wear relatively quickly under heavy foot traffic. However, its low cost and easy maintenance easily compensate for this. For more details of this topic, see link below: carpet laying south auckland
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