I'll dig through photos and see if I can find photos of a perpendicular installation That I did. You might search this forum and find them. Type in bullnnose any my name and see what comes up. I'd do it now, but I gotta get goin'.
Floating a flush mount stairnose
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I got the photos. I'll post them when I get them in well enough order that they make sense.
This was with an engineered hickory product. The way I made the movable part was slightly different because of the difference in the subfloor construction.
I'll see if I can do something tonight. If not, tomorrow night. It's getting late fast and I'm working tomorrow.
This was with an engineered hickory product. The way I made the movable part was slightly different because of the difference in the subfloor construction.
I'll see if I can do something tonight. If not, tomorrow night. It's getting late fast and I'm working tomorrow.
In the job I just showed, I recessed the screws and washers into the movable portion of the floor.
You mentioned a perpendicular arrangement. On this older 2010 job, I recessed a place for the screws and washers into the bull nose itself. On this job, the small section of the floor that I made moveable, was not thick enough to make a deep recess using a Forstner bit like the bamboo floor situation.
Once set in place, the screws and washers ended up being taller than the slip piece that I made............. I used a large Forstner bit to make allowance in the stair nose molding to accommodate the height of the screw height.
Here's a play by play. Probably confusing, but I hope it isn't out of the park.
PM me for my phone # if you have questions on any of this.
Here's the first images.
I used a router to remove 3/8" of the OSB subfloor at the top of the stairway where the nose will reside.
Next step was to fit a 3/8" thick piece of plywood in it's place. I made this piece of plywood smaller in width and depth than the area that I routed out of the subfloor. The arrows show the gap, which will allow almost 1/4" in any direction.
You mentioned a perpendicular arrangement. On this older 2010 job, I recessed a place for the screws and washers into the bull nose itself. On this job, the small section of the floor that I made moveable, was not thick enough to make a deep recess using a Forstner bit like the bamboo floor situation.
Once set in place, the screws and washers ended up being taller than the slip piece that I made............. I used a large Forstner bit to make allowance in the stair nose molding to accommodate the height of the screw height.
Here's a play by play. Probably confusing, but I hope it isn't out of the park.
PM me for my phone # if you have questions on any of this.
Here's the first images.
I used a router to remove 3/8" of the OSB subfloor at the top of the stairway where the nose will reside.
Next step was to fit a 3/8" thick piece of plywood in it's place. I made this piece of plywood smaller in width and depth than the area that I routed out of the subfloor. The arrows show the gap, which will allow almost 1/4" in any direction.
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Basically, this first step is to remove a section of underlayment and replace it with a smaller piece of underlayment which will be able to move slightly. The whole effort is about making a stair nose molding a flush mount instead of an overlapping one.
Here's what you will be doing to mate the pieces together.
The slip piece is screwed gently to the subfloor, then the 1/4" gaps are aligned for the last time. (I'll show how the screws are done, later)
The stair nose molding is glued in place first, but you need some way to keep it and the slip piece from moving until the adhesive sets.
Next, the individual planks are fit and glued one at a time.
I splined each end butt plank as I fit them to the nose piece, mainly for alignment purposes.
Here's what you will be doing to mate the pieces together.
The slip piece is screwed gently to the subfloor, then the 1/4" gaps are aligned for the last time. (I'll show how the screws are done, later)
The stair nose molding is glued in place first, but you need some way to keep it and the slip piece from moving until the adhesive sets.
Next, the individual planks are fit and glued one at a time.
I splined each end butt plank as I fit them to the nose piece, mainly for alignment purposes.
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This floating nose project was done differently than my others. The section that moves was too thin to recess the screw and washer thickness. Instead, I made a recess on the back side of the nose using a Forstner bit that was larger than the washer. You don't want the screw and washer to make contact with the nose, nor do you want the screw and washer to get trapped in adhesive when the nose is glued in place.
Note the diameter of the screw, and the diameter of the hole that was drilled in the slip piece. This allowed slightly less than 1/4 of an inch of movement in any direction once the screw was tightened. The screw isn't really "tightened". It's drawn down so it barely makes contact with the board.................. after all, the board has to be able to move.
The only purpose for the screws are to keep the finished nose from moving upwards if someones toe bumps it on the way up the stairs, and to keep any "bounce" from the step should the completed edge want to lift if the floor wants to warp or buckle. This stairway was 4 feet wide, and 4 screws was plenty.
Note the diameter of the screw, and the diameter of the hole that was drilled in the slip piece. This allowed slightly less than 1/4 of an inch of movement in any direction once the screw was tightened. The screw isn't really "tightened". It's drawn down so it barely makes contact with the board.................. after all, the board has to be able to move.
The only purpose for the screws are to keep the finished nose from moving upwards if someones toe bumps it on the way up the stairs, and to keep any "bounce" from the step should the completed edge want to lift if the floor wants to warp or buckle. This stairway was 4 feet wide, and 4 screws was plenty.
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The slip piece is set in place and centered, making allowance for the 1/4 inch expansion gaps. It's then screwed in place, being careful to make each screw dead center in the large hole that was made in the board. The screws can temporarily be snugged down so the board doesn't move while measuring and marking the screw locations onto the back side of the nose. Once the locations are accurately marked, the Forstner bit is used to hollow out the recess in the nose piece
Take special note to the two pieces of plywood screwed on each side of the riser face. Those pieces of plywood are shimmed out to where the completed nose will end up.
They are there so that the nose has a definite stop when you set the nose into place during fitting and drilling the recess for the screws, and gluing it in place.
You won't remove these stops until the nose and wood flooring are completed. They are critical for accurate alignment.
Take special note to the two pieces of plywood screwed on each side of the riser face. Those pieces of plywood are shimmed out to where the completed nose will end up.
They are there so that the nose has a definite stop when you set the nose into place during fitting and drilling the recess for the screws, and gluing it in place.
You won't remove these stops until the nose and wood flooring are completed. They are critical for accurate alignment.
If you look at the picture closely, you notice the sheetrock was carved out to allow for expansion.
The process is relatively simple. 
Cut the nose piece for width, and determine how wide and how deep you want to cut the floor for the slip piece.
The nose will be fully glued to the slip piece, but how much of the floor board do you want to be glued to it? 2 inches? I don't really know how much is the right amount.
Cut out the width and depth needed from the floor, then make a new, smaller piece to fit back in it's place. Screw it in place with a screw smaller than the hole like described above.
Fit the plywood stops on each side of the riser and fit the nose in place snugly against it. This is your lineup method.
Now transfer the 4 screw locations onto the back side of the nose so the recess's can be drilled to make clearance for the screw/washer combo. (I used 4 screws, but 3 might work fine)
I grooved and splined the nose piece, and did the same with the end of each board. This way, all the edges fit evenly.
Ready to go?
Glue the nose in place first. No fasteners tho, because remember, this piece will need to move.
Now you can start fitting the boards.
On this job, it was a Shaw product that was T&G.......... meaning the planks were glued together. This can work with a locking joint too. Once you click the board neatly in place against the nose, you slide a piece of the spline material into place with glue on it. You do it one spline at a time just like with a fully edge glued T&G floor.
The Nose piece I used was not made for this particular floor and was sightly thicker, making it a bit more difficult. 6 years later is still functioning as it was intended.
I used Chemrex 948 urethane adhesive because it's good stuff. It's not a place to cheap out and use "Beat's the Nail" or a cheap adhesive.
Use some heavy grit paper and scuff the back side of the nose piece and the back of the floor material before gluing.
It's not a cheap way for the customer because it's very time consuming. It's not for the faint of heart installer either. Lots of measuring and calculating to do, and you need to include the pad or underlayment thickness in the decision making process.
When it turns out nice (it will), you got something to be really proud of. This isn't something that can be undone, so proceed with caution.
Cut the nose piece for width, and determine how wide and how deep you want to cut the floor for the slip piece.
The nose will be fully glued to the slip piece, but how much of the floor board do you want to be glued to it? 2 inches? I don't really know how much is the right amount.
Cut out the width and depth needed from the floor, then make a new, smaller piece to fit back in it's place. Screw it in place with a screw smaller than the hole like described above.
Fit the plywood stops on each side of the riser and fit the nose in place snugly against it. This is your lineup method.
Now transfer the 4 screw locations onto the back side of the nose so the recess's can be drilled to make clearance for the screw/washer combo. (I used 4 screws, but 3 might work fine)
I grooved and splined the nose piece, and did the same with the end of each board. This way, all the edges fit evenly.
Ready to go?
Glue the nose in place first. No fasteners tho, because remember, this piece will need to move.
Now you can start fitting the boards.
On this job, it was a Shaw product that was T&G.......... meaning the planks were glued together. This can work with a locking joint too. Once you click the board neatly in place against the nose, you slide a piece of the spline material into place with glue on it. You do it one spline at a time just like with a fully edge glued T&G floor.
The Nose piece I used was not made for this particular floor and was sightly thicker, making it a bit more difficult. 6 years later is still functioning as it was intended.
I used Chemrex 948 urethane adhesive because it's good stuff. It's not a place to cheap out and use "Beat's the Nail" or a cheap adhesive.
Use some heavy grit paper and scuff the back side of the nose piece and the back of the floor material before gluing.
It's not a cheap way for the customer because it's very time consuming. It's not for the faint of heart installer either. Lots of measuring and calculating to do, and you need to include the pad or underlayment thickness in the decision making process.
When it turns out nice (it will), you got something to be really proud of. This isn't something that can be undone, so proceed with caution.
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