Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jan 24, 2016 7:45 pm The wife and I are split on what we want on the staircase with our new build. She is in favour of tiles (treads and risers), I prefer maple (treads and risers). Normally the wife always wins out but I really don't like tiles on a staircase. If you don't mind what I am asking for is for your opinion in regards to the pro's and con's of both. Thanks in advance. Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 2Jan 24, 2016 8:30 pm well I have had tiles downstairs and wood upstairs for the last two places I have been at and I am building currently and am going the same, tiles downstairs and wood upstairs. The stairs will also be wood and will make a nice contrast to the tile. All tile will look very cold in my mind. Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 3Jan 24, 2016 9:14 pm Im just thinking as a mother..unsure if u have kids but having kids on stairs is scary enough but tiled stairs if children fell on tiled stairs...lets just say it would not be a soft fall. So for that reason i would stick to wood. Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 5Jan 25, 2016 12:22 pm I like the idea of maple - BUT ... generally go along with Mrs SM on house things ... happy wife, happy life ... You could point out that they might be cold on the feet in winter ... Slippery after the shower - dangerous for the kiddies ... Maple would look much more "classy" ... Maple is more "gentle - ie breakages ... Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 6Jan 25, 2016 2:17 pm Tiles on stairs remind me of an outdoor set of tiled concrete stairs built in the seventies. Not too flash ! I presume you are having carpet on the floors upstairs. What are you having downstairs - tiles ? Is the staircase made of timber or concrete ? Stewie Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 7Jan 25, 2016 6:21 pm Yuk, a tiled staircase inside? Add some warmth and character to your abode. Is your home in Greece or Italy? Maybe a big stone statue of David at the base and some lions at the top might look good too. Everybody to their own,but not for a woody like me. Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 8Jan 25, 2016 8:25 pm No pro's or cons from me, just personal opinion sorry. I'm not a fan of tiles. They are cold and hard in both temperature and look for me. Do you mind me asking what are your other floorings like? What is flowing to and from the stairs at either end? Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 9Jan 25, 2016 11:16 pm Two story home, concrete slab ground floor, particle board first floor. The home is 38sqm. 4 bed. Designed for upstairs living. The total area we are trying to cover is 220m including the bedrooms. We are undecided to go with 600 x 600 floor tiles both up and downstairs and the wife wanted to tile the stairs as well. I prefer to go the maple wood. I am not a 100% sure I want tiled bedrooms either but the wife suffers from allergies and so that's a sticking point as well. I am toying with the idea of tiles ground floor bamboo first floor but bamboo has issues with moisture so I'm told So that's our situation. Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 10Jan 26, 2016 12:26 am Well my kids grew up with stairs and we never ever had a mishap. like pools, you need to keep an eye on them Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 11Jan 26, 2016 8:15 am The reason I asked about whether the stairs will be made from concrete or not is that over the years with subtle movement of a timber staircase ( if you tiled it of course ) the tile grout would eventually crack as the main body of the stairs moves in two directions as it expands and contracts. When you tile over a timber floor the expansion only occurs mostly horizontally and grout cracking is a lot less. With regards to carpet or not there are some excellent low allergen varieties around - not cheap but a viable alternative to tiles in a bedroom. Friends of mine installed some on their upper floor about six years ago and were very happy with it. Stewie Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 12Jan 26, 2016 9:46 pm The stairs will made from wood. I forgot to mention that. Being Australia day we were out walking the dog and got talking to some locals about the stairs we plan to build and they all said stay clear of wood. Because we live in a sandy area apparently the sand on your feet will scratch the maple. So we are told, so now it looks like tiles and maple are both off the list. Looking at laminated floors boards for the stars and bedrooms. How hard can this be? everyone else who has to build must go through this yeah? Re: Tiles v Maple staircase 13Jan 27, 2016 7:55 am Any wooden product - real timber flooring, laminated timber panels etc will scratch over time if you don't eliminate the sand at the front door first as will a lot of tiles as well. We go for a swim at the beach nearly every second day here ( 1km away ) and we won't have any hesitation about installing timber flooring downstairs and a timber staircase either. Stewie Staircases and sausages. Should thou wish to keep thy palate sweet for sausages, avert thine eyes from their crafting. 14 4544 Not sure if that works? I was told the issue is the headspace clearance requirement on step 4. My builder is proposing shifting the beam 310mm towards the kitchen...I'm… 2 2454 Firstly the ableflex that has been installed needs (manufactures specification) a sealant cap over the top, preventing water draining down between the slab and the… 3 7744 |