# 1/4” In Between Skirtboard and Drywall



## abernat (Nov 17, 2017)

Might be a dumb question, but...

If I’m building stairs from scratch, and I attach a 2x4 on the outside of the stringers, that leaves 1 1/2” in between stringers and framing wall studs.

I drop in 1/2” drywall and 1”x? board for the skirt board... doesn’t that leave a 1/4” gap in between the skirt board and the stringer/stairs/treads?

How do you slove this 1/4” gap?

Thanks for advice and help.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

You install the treads and risers after you install the skirt boards, the treads and risers go all the way to the skirt, no gap.

By the way, I will make a thread of your own, that way more members will see your thread.


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## abernat (Nov 17, 2017)

Makes sense for sure.

But everything I was reading implied doing the skirtboard last. I think mostly because you would need the stairs (treads/rises) installed to be able to install the drywall 10-15 feet up a stairwell that (at that time) would only be stringers.


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## J_L (Apr 22, 2014)

In your scenario, I'd throw temp treads on until the drywall was hung and finished. Then take off the temps, run the skirt board right on the face of the drywall, then set the treads and risers. If there's some deviation between the skirt board and the drywall, you can run a basecap along the top of the skirt board or take some of your baseboard and rip the profile off of the top and continue that along the top of the skirt board. Using the baseboard profile makes it much easier to tie into the main baseboard at the bottom and top of the stairs.


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

You need to cover the 1/4 inch gap with a piece of decorative molding


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

abernat said:


> Makes sense for sure.
> 
> But everything I was reading implied doing the skirtboard last. I think mostly because you would need the stairs (treads/rises) installed to be able to install the drywall 10-15 feet up a stairwell that (at that time) would only be stringers.


You can install the skirt last, but it sure isn't easy to get all the cuts exact. J_L said it right, use temporary treads, install the sheet rock then the skirt, then remove the temporary treads and install the real treads. Believe me, you will not like installing the actual treads and risers before sheet rock, they will catch a beating and sheet rock mud on the treads stain like crazy and is next to impossible to get off.


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