How to install carpet on stair

Once the carpet pieces are in place, you will need to staple along the riser. The staples should not be placed on the tackless strips and should instead be right along the side of it. So, keep them about an inch apart to keep it looking clean. Next, you need to use a knee kicker to stretch the seam of the carpet so that it stays close to the step. You need to begin in the middle of the step and work outwards.

This will allow the carpet to stay closer to the curved part of the step and gives it a more fitted look. Then, you want to make that look even more defined. Using your stair tool and the rubber mallet to create a crease along the same line where you stretched the carpet. Use stick the stair tool in the crease and use the rubber mallet to hammer it. This will push the carpet onto the tackles strip better and create a crisp crease that you are looking for.

Looking at the stairs now that you have installed the carpet yourself, you should feel accomplished. And, now that you know how to install carpet on stairs, you can help others to do the same. This finishing touch can make your home look comfortable and it can make it safer as well.

Keep in mind that carpets get dirty with time, so you might want to vacuum your stairs , and use a portable carpet cleaning machine. Make certain that the strips angle in toward each other, so that the points of the tacks will come close to touching.

To provide each of your wooden steps with a little more cushion, lay down a base of carpet padding. You can find this material in many shapes and sizes, but remember that high-quality stair padding is thicker than wall-to-wall padding. Good padding is worth the investment, because it can extend the life of the carpet on this highly trafficked corridor.

These pads should not cover any of the tack strips, however. Secure one end of the pad just in front of the tack strip on the tread, using a hammer tacker and stapling every three inches across. Then, pull the padding tight around the stair nosing and staple it underneath onto the riser , again spaced every three inches. Repeat this process for the entire length of the staircase. Center the runner so that there are equal amounts of wood on each side, then press it into the very first tack strip at the bottom of the riser , using a carpet awl to get a clean look between the bottom of the stair riser and the flooring.

The carpeting should be even with the floor, but if not, just trim the edge with a carpet knife. Then, secure the runner to the riser just beneath the next tread with staples, spaced roughly three inches apart. For the tailored Hollywood look, also secure the runner to the underside of the nosing, spacing each staple three inches apart. Recenter the runner, then push the carpet back over the nosing and toward the next tack strip.

Place the front part of a knee kicker a professional carpet tool available for rent from your local big-box hardware store about two to three inches from the second riser, then give it a jolt with your knee to tighten the carpeting along the edges. Start at the middle, and work your way to each edge to minimize any bubbles in the middle.

Remember: If the runner begins to buckle, pull it up from the tack strip and begin again. Using a knee kicker, stretch the carpet tight to the back of the tread, and hold in place until staples can be applied to the back of the tread behind the tack strip. Using the kicker, stretch the carpet over the side tack strips if against a wall by positioning the kicker to face the wall and stretching in that direction.

When the carpet is securely fastened, trim any excess. Repeat the process with the next riser. While the basic process will remain the same, the type of staircase you're working with will determine how you finish the installation. You'll need to determine if you have cap stairs, pie stairs, bullnoses, or Hollywood stairs. If the stair is open on the side with railing posts , the carpet must be cut around each post and re-joined on the other side.

First, install the tread as described above. Next, make a slit directly in line with each post to the edge of the carpet away from the stair. Wrap the carpet around each post. If you have larger wooden posts, you may have to trim some excess carpet around the base of each post. Once you have brought the carpet around the posts, wrap it around the side of the stair and fasten it underneath the side nosing. To contour the degree angle where the side of the stair meets the front of the stair, make a slit in the carpet diagonally from the corner to the outside of the carpet.

You can then fold the carpet over and bring it together to cover the entire step. If you have pie-shaped, or curved, stairs, install the carpet on the riser in the same way as mentioned above. For the tread, fasten the carpet to the floor under the nosing, and bring the carpet straight over the lip and across the tread.

The only main difference is that there will be a lot more excess to trim. The carpet on a curved stair should be straight off of the tread nosing; otherwise, it will look crooked when looking up the staircase from the bottom.

A stair that has a curved outside edge is referred to as a bullnose. It is found most commonly at the very bottom of the staircase as the first stair. The carpet can be wrapped around the curved lip of the stair by making a slit as was done for the cap stair, and flexing the carpet around the bend.