How To Install A Runner on Stairs

Yesterday I posted before photos and talked about how we replaced the treads and prepared them for the runner.

I wanted about 5” of tread showing on each side of the runner so I needed it to be 25” wide and it’s hard to find that size so I bought carpet and had it cut into strips and bound in black down the sides.  It took 5 pieces that were each 6’ long. 

My Dad did all the hard work and I was the pad cutter, pattern matcher and staple refiller, oh and lunch lady.  He put carpet tack strips about 1/2” from the back of the step and then stapled the pad in place.  Both were cut 2” narrower than the runner.

Then there was a whole lot of stapling, jamming the carpet behind the strip with a tool that looks like an axe head on a handle, and stretching, pulling and more stapling.  All while making sure the pattern was staying straight.

Since the staircase turns there are two funky shaped stairs that I kept calling pie shaped but I’ve never had pie shaped like that !  We were able to fudge the first one to make it meet the next one where it should.  

The next step was more difficult because it had to be custom shaped on the right side.  Luckily I had some extra carpet that we cut in the exact shape and took back to the awesome carpet guy and he bound those edges.    I thought we could do it with our 25” strips but I also almost failed geometry.  Between the two of us we figured out how to get the pattern just right.  

The view from upstairs looking down……..





The carpet I chose was a Stanton wool and was on close out for 75% off, the pattern was just what I had in mind.  It has a loop pile and will hold up under the high traffic that these will get.

Thanks Dad, you did a great job !

Linking to ...... Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style