Stair nose strip popped off on a hot July job in Phoenix

I was finishing a 1,400 square foot home off of Bell Road and the aluminum stair nose on the top step snapped loose while the homeowner was walking up to check my work. Turns out the concrete underneath had a hairline crack and my fasteners were too short, only grabbed about a quarter inch. Had to pull all 14 steps, switch to longer concrete screws, and use construction adhesive on every single one. Anyone ever deal with a stair nose failure due to subfloor or slab issues like that?

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taylor.amy11d ago

Phoenix heat might’ve been the real culprit here, not just the fasteners. That slab expands and contracts like crazy in July, and the adhesive could be pulling away from the micro-cracks you didn’t see. Longer screws help, but a flexible epoxy or polyurethane glue handles the movement way better than standard construction adhesive. Also check if the stair nose was aluminum over a metal tread pan, because metal on metal with heat can shear pins clean off.