Can new hardwood on a landing leave the stairs carpeted?
The goal for this Southington upstairs landing was a partial conversion: replace the landing carpet with solid red oak, but leave the stairs carpeted. The landing gets the hardwood update while the stairs keep their carpet, and the two meet at a finished edge.
The material was Maine Traditions Casco Bay Collection Red Oak Mackworth in Coastal grade with a matte finish — 3 1/4-inch by 3/4-inch solid hardwood, installed by the nail-down method. After the carpet was removed and disposed of, the exposed subfloor needed no additional preparation. Two reducers and two stair noses finished the edges where the new hardwood meets the carpeted stairs, and the specified baseboard was removed and reset around the finished perimeter.
The whole 220-square-foot project was completed in one workday: carpet out, solid hardwood in, trim and transitions finished. A landing doesn't need to be a week-long project when the subfloor is sound and the stairs are staying as they are.
Project overview
The goal, materials, and finished scope.
In June 2026, Floors Now completed a 220-square-foot solid-hardwood replacement across an upstairs landing in Southington in one workday. The crew removed and disposed of the existing carpet, and no additional subfloor preparation was required. Maine Traditions Casco Bay Collection Red Oak Mackworth in Coastal grade, with a matte finish, was then installed using a nail-down method. Two reducers, two stair noses, and the specified baseboard removal and reset completed the landing scope while the stairs remained carpeted.
Maine Traditions Casco Bay Collection Red Oak Mackworth, Coastal grade, matte finish, 3 1/4-inch x 3/4-inch solid hardwood
Project goal
Replace the upstairs landing carpet with solid red oak while leaving the stairs carpeted
Project photography
The finished result.
Each image and caption identifies the portion of the verified project that is actually shown.
View 1.Completed Red Oak Mackworth solid hardwood across the upstairs landing.
View 2.The new solid hardwood finishes the landing while the adjoining stairs remain carpeted.
Scope of work
What we did, step by step.
A focused one-day landing replacement from carpet removal through hardwood and finishing details.
1Removed and disposed of the existing carpet from the upstairs landing
2Completed the project without additional subfloor preparation
3Nail-down installed 220 square feet of Maine Traditions Casco Bay Red Oak Mackworth solid hardwood
4Completed two reducers and two stair noses while leaving the stairs carpeted
5Removed and reset the specified baseboard as part of the finished perimeter
Common questions
Questions homeowners ask about this kind of project.
What hardwood was installed on the landing?
Maine Traditions Casco Bay Collection Red Oak in the Mackworth color, Coastal grade with a matte finish — 3 1/4-inch by 3/4-inch solid hardwood, nail-down installed across the 220-square-foot landing.
Did the upstairs landing need subfloor work before the hardwood?
No. After the existing carpet was removed and disposed of, the exposed subfloor needed no additional preparation — it was stable and suitable for the nail-down installation. Not every project needs subfloor work; when the substrate is sound, the hardwood goes straight down.
How long did the landing installation take?
One workday. The 220-square-foot landing went from carpet removal to finished solid hardwood — including the reducers, stair noses, and baseboard reset — in a single day.
What are stair noses for?
Stair noses are the moldings that finish the exposed edge where a hard floor meets the top of a staircase — they protect the edge and create the finished step into the landing. This project included two stair noses where the new hardwood meets the carpeted stairs.
Products and planning
Planning a similar flooring project?
Use these resources to compare the materials, preparation, and installation services involved in this project.
Tell us about your rooms, flooring, and project goals.
Share the location, rooms, existing floors, materials you are considering, known preparation needs, and timing. Floors Now will review the details and follow up about the most practical next step.