Any (Flooring) Laminate Experts

[Evolved]

I need some help/advice here. We are building a new home and the builder reluctantly okay'd us building and installing our own custom handrail. It has been pretty smooth so far until the flooring contractor installed all of the flooring. Initially they did not put any sort of a cap over the edge of the stairwell and just left the raw edges exposed. I complained and they flooring installers came back and put a cap on it. I don't think they even used the correct edge cap, it looks more brown than what is used on our flooring. Here is the big issue; we installed the hand rail last Saturday an the plates for the handrail now sit on top of the edge cap. I know the builder is going to say we built the hand rail incorrectly but I was under the impression the edge cap should sit flush with the rest of the floor. Am I wrong and this is the way the edge cap should be sitting? Or, did the flooring people just throw something together to finish the edge?

What is a good fix here? Should the flooring people come back and make the edge cap flush? Should I take my dremel and cut the edge cap so the plates now sit flush on the floor? Should I put plates under the plates to make them sit level above the edge cap (I doubt this is an option).

 

[Jesser04]

Badass hand rail! I’d say that is the incorrect edge cap and have them com back. I can’t imagine the builder would fault you every floor I’ve seen was flush. The edge cap should hang over the carpet.

 

[Pike2350]

I'm no expert buf that looks correct to me. With laminate and other "click and lock" floors it's too difficult to get a flush edge with the end cap. The end cap also needs to be nailed down and that doesn't work well if it's not overlapping... allowing for variations in cut and movement of the "floating floor"

You or the floor installer should cut the end cap around the railing posts.

 

[Pile of parts]

If you put the posts on after the end cap, that's on you. There's no way they would have known where and how big. Notch the end cap so the posts fit in. Looks great!

 

[Evolved]

If you put the posts on after the end cap, that's on you.

Yeah, so that is the problem. I went to the flooring place multiple times trying to find out the size of the end cap. The employees said "we're not sure exactly", so I told them what we had planned and was told more than once "Ohhh you'll be fine". In hind sight I should have asked for the installers info but that ship has sailed.

I ended up having a friend cut out plates that match the negative space under the posts and will install those under the plates on the already built hand rail. I really thought about notching the end caps but the cuts would have to super precise and with the end cap already installed I felt I was setting myself up for failure.

 

[Rock Taco]

Typically there would have been a "shoe" under where your railing is going but that may not have been discussed thoroughly but any knowledgeable builder would have brought that item to light and made sure that how you wanted it finished (material and finish can vary). Most laminate floors are floating floors and the manufacture will void any warranty if they are secured in any way and not allowed to float. Also depending on the flooring selection you made the trim pieces are not typically made of the same exact material so finishes can vary slightly and that manufacture may not have a very good selection available in the line and color you chose.