Imperfections in either carpet or stair construction often makes perfect alignment of a spaced design impossible. Measure slightly differently if you are planning a runner that lets some of the stair wood show. Start laying the stair carpet by folding over the top edge and pushing it under the flap from the landing you have already secured to the top riser. Affix the Tackless Strips to Carpet Stairs. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Bound pieces are now ready for installation. Whether carpet is being laid the full width of the stairs or runner-style down the center of the stairs with wood visible on each edge, turning under the outside edges provides a stable hold for carpet and a neater, more durable job as a whole. Carpeting a stairway with turns is no different than carpeting a straight stairway when wall-to-wall carpeting is being installed. Add the amount you will need for the length of any landings. If you plan a runner narrower than the stairs, allowing what is sometimes called a reveal, a standard allowance is 3 inches per side of reveal, for a total of 6 inches. Keep the roll centered as you work your way up the stairs. Install your pre-cut stair carpet starting from the bottom stair and work your way up. Laying out tackless strips for a stair runner. Stair carpet usually extends to cover part or all of the upper landing with a 2- to 3-inch turn-under to anchor carpet at the end and prevent it from fraying. Wall-to-wall carpet, whether newly purchased or already in your possession, provides durable stair carpeting that coordinates well with existing decor. Choosing a premade runner or runner by the yard insures a stable width and only requires you calculate the extra carpet needed to cover top and bottom risers and/or landings. I did THIS runner from Annie Selke from her Dash and Albert line in a vertical stripe. In waterfall installation, carpet is laid in a single strip, anchored to stairs with tackless strips, staples and sometimes decorative rods. Your goal is to make all treads look attractive while showing off the pattern as a whole. The carpet on stairs must run in the same direction on every stair, and the direction of the pile must go with the flow of traffic -- from top to bottom, not from side to side. This will enable you to calculate pricing if you are purchasing carpet for this project. Installing a carpet runner helps protect stairs from damage and wear. If the first piece of carpet buckles on the riser or upper stair, trim the carpeting as necessary to achieve a perfect fit. Treating each tread and riser individually may require extra carpet depending on the pattern, but lets you create the perfect alignment for even a complex pattern. Spread a 1 inch border of white glue on all rug edges to prevent raveling. When you reach your first curved step, angle the carpet as necessary to keep the carpet centered on the stairs. This is a quick way to prepare inexpensive carpeting for use as a stair runner. Use carpet tacks to secure this all along its back edge. Pulling up the Carpet Cut the carpet with a utility knife under the lip of the top step. Attach the carpet pad to your stairs, using a heavy-duty stapler. To cover the stairs completely, multiply 42 inches by the length, 345 inches = 14,490 square inches. Laying patterned stair carpet presents some challenges plain carpet does not. Turn carpet face-down. For example, on a straight flight of stairs, allowing a total of 23 inches for the tread, riser and nose, 15 stairs in the run, your total will be 345 linear inches. How not to do carpet runner installation on a 90 degree turn on pie stairs. In addition to the landing turn-unders, allow 1 extra inch of width per side to turn under so carpet edges do not fray. How to Carpet a Stair Landing. For a 34-inch runner: 34 x 345 = 11,730, divided by 144 = 81.46 square feet. For the rails to meet throughout the descent or ascent of the carpet, you need to ensure that the carpet is cut and joined on the treads of the stairs. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harvard University and a Master of Science in early childhood education from the College of New Rochelle. Seal the edge of the carpet with latex seam sealer to prevent unraveling. How to Cut & Rebind a Cotton Bathroom Rug, How to Make a Stair Runner From Burlap Bags, Southern Hospitality: Painted Stairs and Adding Runners, How to Make Stair Treads From Carpet Remnants, How to Make a Wall-to-Wall Carpet Into a Stair Runner. Step 7 – Install Carpet. Using a patterned carpet may provide a transition between a main decorating color used on one level of the house to a main color on another. Installing carpet on stairs can be tricky and time-consuming, but it can be accomplishedeven by noviceswith some understanding and patience. Measure stairs to determine the dimensions of your runner. : Many people think that it is no big deal to install carpeting, but once you get into it you realize that it takes quite a bit of work to install your carpeting correctly, especially on stairs and other hard to fit areas. In cap-and-band installation, carpet is cut to cover each stair one at a time. Cover stair treads completely or bind the edges for a narrower runner. A colorful carpet runner cascading down a flight of stairs is more than just a decor upgrade. Center the carpet at the bottom of the stairs, using an awl to push the carpet back into the tackless strip to create a clean line. Or if you do get them to line up straight you will have spent hours doing so! The predecessor to self-adhesive binding was white glue. Stair carpet usually extends to cover part or all of the upper landing with a 2- to 3-inch turn-under to anchor carpet at the end and prevent it from fraying. Alternatively, you can have runner edges bound at the carpet store to prevent fraying. You all helped me pick it! This is a professional practice known as tack-and-turn. Janet Beal has written for various websites, covering a variety of topics, including gardening, home, child development and cultural issues. NO matter what they will not line up straight. Lay the carpet runner on the first step, making sure it … Whether you plan to pick up a runner that is ready to go, or craft something totally custom, you’ll first … One side of the carpet will require more material while the other requires less because of the turn being made. This means that, in order to work with the size of a roll of carpet, not all of the stairs are installed in one piece. Do not do horizontal strips on stairs! This may mean that you need more carpet than your exact square footage. A pattern motif also may provide continuity between two areas of the home. Pull the carpet upward and attach it to the tackless strip at the back of the tread. Follow the instructions on dry time. Laying the Stair Carpet. Turn carpet face-down. Fix another piece of gripper to the riser, with the angled edge facing down. Measure the depth of a tread and a riser in inches, adding 2 inches to the total to allow carpet to curve over the nose, or front edge, of the tread. Fix gripper to the tread of the stair with the angled edge facing away, leaving a gap between the gripper and the riser 3/4 the thickness of the carpet. Now lay your carpet strip down the stairs and fold over the edge next to the banisters. Plan to join cut pieces under a stair nose or at the junction of a tread and riser rather than in the middle of a tread or a riser. Professionals suggest adding an extra foot to your calculations as a margin for error. Her work has appeared on early childhood education and consumer education websites. - YouTube Cut lengths of carpet to the width of the stairs. Roll out the length of carpet needed to run the length of the stairs and cut it approximately 3" wider than the finished runner will be. Tackless strips are wooden strips with small carpet tacks … Then pull the end toward the bottom. Subtract the width of the runner from the width of the … A carpet wears better with the pile facing down the stairs. If there were existing hardwoods underneath the carpet, sand them before re-staining. Measure and mark out the dimensions of your runner sections on the back side of your carpet. Waterfall installation is most effective when your carpet has an all-over or small repeated pattern. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Cut the pad to size for each tread width if they vary. Step 2: Apply Tackless Strips. One of the most economical ways to re-carpet your stairs is to use wall-to-wall remnants left over from carpeting another room. Turn the carpet upside down, and snap a chalk line on each side so that the distance between the chalk lines is equal to the width of the runner. The tread is where the intersection between the two piece of carpet should be. Attach a piece of carpet pad to each step, running from the tackless strip to the nose of the tread. Divide this total by 144 to convert square inches to square feet = 100.625 square feet. Janet Beal has written for various websites, covering a variety of topics, including gardening, home, child development and cultural issues. Screw the carpet trim to the floor. Once you have selected your carpet and measured and prepped your stairs, you are ready to begin installing your new carpet. How to Install Carpet on Stairs - how hard is it? How Do I Install A Carpet Runner On Pie Steps, Turning Stairs With Patterned Carpet, How To Install A Carpet Runner On Pie Shaped Stairs, How To Install Carpet Runner On Pie-shaped Stairs, How To Install Pie Shape Carpet On Stairs Stain and clear coat your stairs to give them long-lasting appeal. Beginning at the top of the staircase, lay the first length of carpet with its pile facing down the stairs. Pattern sizes and spacings may vary within a single piece of carpet, and stiffness or other qualities in the backing may cause the pattern to be skewed or crooked. Is it an easy task to install carpet? This technique is perfect for a runner carpet featuring intervals of plain carpet and spaced decorations such as medallions. This guide will help you complete this DIY project in about a day. Calculate your own square footage and divide by 9 to determine square yards. Assuming you have standard-sized stairs, and allowing for 3 inches on either side to display the wood, you need 24 inches for each stair step and riser. When calculating amounts of carpet, remember that all the length cuts in a carpet with a visible nap or a pattern must go in the same direction. For stairs with one or both sides open, the turn-and-tack method will produce a professional-looking carpet edge. According to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), there are no industry-wide standards for patterned carpets. Also hire a pro if you need to carpet stairs. If the carpet pieces are cut correctly, the portion covering the riser will fit snugly against the carpet already in place on the lower step, causing the seam to be nearly invisible. Any well-trained carpet installer can install new carpet on stairs, even with a stair-lift in place. I love the black and white, classic. Cut carpet with a carpet knife or utility knife. Use a new, sharp … Her work has appeared on early childhood education and consumer education websites. Use a foam brush to apply the stain, and wipe with a lint-free cloth. Tip: If this project seems more complicated than you would like, another option is to use stair tread covers instead. Before getting started, be sure to learn the terms for the different parts of your staircase. But it is not an impossible task, just time consuming. You'll need some slack to work with so that you don't tug too hard on the bottom and cause the entire roll to fall down on you. For high-quality carpet, explore the costs of having it professionally bound. Place carpet right-side-up on your work surface if you are applying self-adhesive binding. 4. The carpet must always join the riser at a 90 degree angle and it should also leave the riser at a 90 degree angle. For stairs enclosed on both sides by walls, plan to lay carpet wall-to-wall. If stairs wind, measure the deepest part of the tread, to assure that you will have enough carpet. If your stairs follow the standard dimensions, it will be much easier to measure and lay your carpet, as carpet runners designed for the standard dimensions will be easy to find. A floral, small geometric, dot or fine stripe functions as a unifying element for the whole staircase as does a small or random pattern with a border. Spread a 1 inch border of white glue on all rug edges to prevent raveling. How to Install Carpeting on the Stairs With a Cap & Band, Rugs Done Right: Rugs 101: Measuring Stair Runners, Home Maintenance: How to Measure the Amount of Carpet for Stairs, Installer Store: Instabind DIY Beige Binding: Instabind Instructions, This Old House: How to Install a Stair Runner - Step by Step, How to Secure a Vinyl Runner to Carpeted Stairs Without Nails. A stair landing is either the top of a set of stairs that leads to a hallway or another room, or an intermediate area where the stairs turn another direction. How to Carpet Stairs With Turns. Cutting stair carpet from a wider piece of carpet has different challenges. Yes, it will take more time and effort. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harvard University and a Master of Science in early childhood education from the College of New Rochelle. Measure the threshold and cut the carpet gripper to length with a hack saw. RELATED: Read one of our best articles which will help you understand the differences in types of Berber carpets. One of the major challenges of covering stairs is planning enough carpet. The instructions will be much easier to follow if you sp… To find out which direction the pile is facing, simply run the palm of your hand over the pile. You’ll be much happier in the long run. Critical to choosing the right carpet is knowing the pattern drop, or interval at which a pattern repeats; for example, there may be a pattern repeated every 13 inches. Carefully place tackless strips on the riser and back of each tread as … Install carpet transition strips at thresholds where carpet meets another type of flooring. If your carpet needs a seam, plan on having a pro install it. A purchased remnant can introduce a new color or pattern into your decorating scheme. Subtracting 6 inches from 40 inches, the stair width, leaves you with a carpet width of 34 inches. Measure each step and riser and create a template to cut the carpet to size, to know the size and how to lay it. Step 8 – Staple Carpet Down Cut and fold unbound pieces as needed to cover stairs wall to wall. Carpet typically comes in 12-foot widths, which makes a roll of carpet heavy and hard to handle, even for an average-sized room of 12 feet x 12 feet. Thank you! Once it dries, apply two coats of clear coat. Roll up the carpet, and lay it a few steps above the bottom. Ask for professional help or follow CRI techniques to measure carpet and calculate where you need to cut, stretch and tack to best align a carpet pattern with stair treads. Carpet gripper – This will hold your stair carpet in place. This is a quick way to prepare inexpensive carpeting for use as a stair runner. It may be worth the expense to insure long wear.