Given the choice, the tools, and the right situation, I would prefer to rout the risers and treads into the finished skirt, then glue, wedge, and fasten them from the underside. There are several ways to accomplish the task when pre-fabrication in a shop is not an option. It’s critical that the workmanship is of the highest caliber. ![]() I’m sure there are variations of these methods and procedures across the country.Ī 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. 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. The width of the opening that the stairs fits into is the width of the stairs plus the thickness of the finished wall material on both sides of the opening. The job required four guys (minimum) with strong backs, one of whom could swing a 20-oz. I literally installed hundreds of these stairs. They could have open risers on one or both sides, with bullnosed bottom treads, could accommodate any wall thickness, and be any width and species of wood that you specified. Typically, within a week, a great looking set of finished stairs would arrive on the job. The standard in PA was to pre-order the stairs once the total rise from finish floor to finish floor was known. In Southeast PA., I lived and worked for 25 years building new homes and renovating old ones. I moved to South Carolina fourteen years ago from Pennsylvania. I’ve had many good teachers over the years, some in the classroom and some on the job. 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. Shortly thereafter he started Reliable Stair Company. At the time Don (“Boss” to his students) was 36 years old and, after graduating from Williamson himself in 1953, went to work for a large millwork company. Don Zepp (who passed away recently) taught me the same method 30 years before, at the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Media, PA, 15 miles west of Philadelphia. This story fascinated me, and I asked Don Jackson what the instructor’s name was. The instructor left the event $20 richer. In approximately 30 minutes, the skirt board was cut and installed while the step-by-step method was explained. The deal was that if, after the skirt board was installed, the skeptic could slip the $20 bill into any of the joints, he’d win the $20. The instructor then asked the skeptic if he was willing to risk his $20 bill. The guy pulled one out of his wallet and the instructor pulled one out of his wallet. The instructor then asked the fellow if he had a $20 bill. The instructor told the audience that he was going to scribe the skirt over the in-place stairs.ĭuring one of the sessions, an audience member raised his hand and said: “I’m sure it can be done, but for the time it’s going to take, and with the fit you’re going to end up with, it’s much better to install the skirt first!” ![]() Pre-built stairs were set up on stage with the treads and risers butting against the drywall on the closed side. 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.ĭon told me that they had a guy who taught that method in one of their Live events.
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