Where Tiles Meet a Stair Riser

[Red Green]

Laying out some tile. Carpet will be replaced after the tile.

Is the carpet typically fastened to the riser (glue or tack strip?) then tucked behind the tile edge. Or does the carpet sit on top of the tile then maybe some kind of molding at the junction?

Tucking behind the tile would seem to be better looking to me but maybe because there's not much depth to tuck it tends to fray or something.

Tile is 3/8" thick, riser is wood, tile base is slab.

I'm asking because I need to know whether to butt the tile againtst the riser or leave an amount of space for tucking. If so, how much space?

Thanks.

[aemeijers]

I'd tile or wood-surface the steps, and start the carpet past that. Maybe even tile that strange little room, all the way up to what looks like a kitchen door there. A little island of carpet in a sea of fresh tile will look strange, IMHO. I'm not a fan of w/w carpet in the first place, so YMMV. But to answer your question- I'd butt the tile to the riser, or stuff will keep getting trapped in there, and the last course will be subject to breaking loose from sideways stress like running kids. Tile wants to have walls or a solid border around it. Sorta like tiling a square in the middle of your garage floor wouldn't stay in place too long.

-- aem sends...

[SteveBell]

Butt the tile up against the riser, but leave a little space, then caulk it. The space you're leaving between the tiles should be fine. The carpet installers will make the carpet look good against the tile.

If you leave just the right amount of space for the carpet to fit, it will work fine until you install new carpet, which will invariably be different. Also, leaving a big space just makes a place for dirt to collect.