Molding solution for a staircase guard rail

[camaross]

I'm replacing the carpet of my bedrooms with Mohawk luxury vinyl planks. Would anyone please help me with a question?

Is quarter round molding my best solution for my stairs guard rail? Please see a picture below. I have a feeling that a quarter round molding next to the base of my guard rail will not look superb.

 

[The Cobbler]

I'd probably be inclined to paint the sill white (since you have clashing wood ) and use shoemold painted white. or use oak shoe to match .

 

[larry4406]

On new construction houses, we hold the rails up based on the thickness of the flooring allowance so the flooring tucks under.

Can you raise your railing up to do this?

Pop off those mushroom caps on the rail base plate to get access to the screws. Back out the screws. That being a straight rail you probably have a rosette at one end where it anchors to a wall; there is likely mushroom caps there concealing screws. The harder part will be where the stair rail connects.

 

[jar944]

Can't you just run it tight to the rail board.

 

[camaross]

Can't you just run it tight to the rail board.

Many thanks! The instruction of my luxury vinyl plank says I need to leave at least 3/8 inch of expansion gap. Maybe people can do that with real wood floors?

 

[jar944]

Many thanks! The instruction of my luxury vinyl plank says I need to leave at least 3/8 inch of expansion gap. Maybe people can do that with real wood floors?

Ah. Yeah you can run real wood tight on ends (length wise) wasn't thinking about vinyl expansion. Can you undercut/rabbet the rail board?

 

[strutaeng]

I wouldn't worry about that expansion gap requirement here; that's for like a large room 30'-40' to allow for expansion and contraction. This is, what, the width of the stair?

Now then, it appears to me that the oak stained piece is thicker than the planks? Is there a chamfer, or is that just a flash/perspective illusion?

If you could remove that oak piece an machine rabbet, that would look best. Maybe consider just butting the planks and use that silicone colored caulk, or leave a small gap, again with the silicone.

 

[carbleaks]

Can you undercut/rabbet the rail board?

^^^^ This was my first thought.

 

[Uncle murph]

I wouldn't worry about that expansion gap requirement here; that's for like a large room 30'-40' to allow for expansion and contraction. This is, what, the width of the stair?

Now then, it appears to me that the oak stained piece is thicker than the planks? Is there a chamfer, or is that just a flash/perspective illusion?

If you could remove that oak piece an machine rabbet, that would look best. Maybe consider just butting the planks and use that silicone colored caulk, or leave a small gap, again with the silicone.

This.**** it tight and leave a gap at the other end,the gap listed in the instructions is worse case in large,unconditioned space room.

 

[falakikram]

I wouldn't worry about that expansion gap requirement here; that's for like a large room 30'-40' to allow for expansion and contraction. This is, what, the width of the stair?

Falak ikram

 

[CSRPenFab]

I'd vote for undercutting the railing base to allow your floor planks to slide cleanly underneath. See if your local tool rental place rents an "undercut" saw. Make a few passes and break out the cut with a chisel. You could use a multi-tool, but it'd be a beeotch to get a straight cut all along that base.

 

[rlitman]

I'd vote for undercutting the railing base to allow your floor planks to slide cleanly underneath. See if your local tool rental place rents an "undercut" saw. Make a few passes and break out the cut with a chisel. You could use a multi-tool, but it'd be a beeotch to get a straight cut all along that base.

That's an option. I'd suggest calling the manufacturer. My Coretec LVP for example has an installation option that includes glue-down instead of fully floating. In such a floor, the expansion space isn't nearly as important.

As was pointed out above, the required expansion space depends on the size of the room (width of the floor), and it should be safe to proportion it down when the floor is covering smaller areas.

Knowing this, if it were my floor, I'd install it tight and not undercut.