Debate at a supply house in Dallas over cutting vs stretching on stairs

So last month I was picking up some glue at the Dalton supply house and got into it with two old-timers about stair installations. One guy swears by cutting every riser and tread separate for a perfect fit, says it takes him about 45 minutes per flight. The other guy just stretches one piece over the whole staircase and trims the edges, claims he can finish a 13-step set in under 20 minutes. Ive always done the cut method myself but I saw his work and it looked pretty clean. But I worry about stretching causing ripples over time on those high-traffic stairs. Which way do you guys lean and have you seen any long-term failures with the stretch method?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_rivera1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I think you're mixing up two different ways to do stairs. Cutting each riser and tread separate is just standard installation, not a special method like stretching a whole piece over the whole flight. That second guy stretching one solid piece over the whole set is doing something most installers wouldn't risk on residential stairs. I've seen that method used on commercial straight runs with no nosings, but on typical carpet stairs with that nose curve, it pulls loose after a year or two for sure. The real debate should be about whether you cut each tread separate or fold it under, because nobody I know stretches one piece over the whole staircase except maybe on a straight warehouse stairway.

ivanlewis1mo ago

Man, I feel you on this one. That's a real debate and I've been in similar spots myself. I lean toward the cut method every time, even if it takes me longer, because I've seen too many stretch jobs get loose and start pulling away after a few years. Nothing worse than a customer calling you back to fix ripples on stairs that get used every day. Stretching might look good fresh out of the box, but once the backing starts to relax under heavy traffic, you're asking for trouble. I'd rather take the extra time and have it hold up for the long haul.