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My uncle told me to always tack strip before cutting the pad on stairs.
He said it prevents the pad from shifting and gives a cleaner edge, which I argued was extra work for no real gain. I tried it his way on a big staircase job in a Tacoma split-level last month, and the fit was way tighter with zero bunching. Do you guys tack strip first, or do you cut the pad to fit and then place the strips?
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averym821mo ago
That's how it always goes with the old school methods. People dismiss them as extra steps until they try it and see the results for themselves. There's a stubborn pride in thinking your shortcut is just as good, but the proof is in the fit. It's a pattern you see everywhere, not just flooring. The right prep work looks like a waste of time right up until it saves your ass. Your uncle knew what he was talking about.
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roberts.aaron1mo ago
Wait, your uncle actually did the whole floor prep by hand? That's wild, @averym82. I tried skipping that step once on a small bathroom and the tiles were popping up within a year. Never made that mistake again lol.
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robert641mo ago
Tell me about it. Learned that lesson the hard way too.
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