Removing the carpet is just part of the jobonce the carpeting is gone, youll still need to pry up the carpet padding and tack strips. Combination square Dust mask Scissors Stick on carpet edge binding found at Home Depot by the carpet runner or try this product. For the tailored Hollywood look, also secure the runner to the underside of the nosing, spacing each staple three inches apart. To ensure your carpet is even, use a carpet stretcher so that it wont move once its installed. Be sure theres a nail within a couple of inches of each end. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You should have two for each step: one on the tread and the other on the riser. Wrap the carpet around each post. If you want to install carpets with perfect seams and properly cut edges, rely on a cushion back carpet cutter. To contour the 90-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. Cut your tack strips into lengths that are four inches shorter than the width of your chosen runner, then count out two strips for each stair. Most stairs are longer than 8 feet, so you probably should double those prices. And although I found some very helpful information, I hardly found anything regarding Carpets and Rugs. The [amazon link=B000COXP2O title=Roberts 10-254V Value Kit Power-Lok Carpet Stretcher/] is a kit that can help you install wall-to-wall carpeting in a better way. If you are planning to cover the entire step with carpet, attach tackless strips to the walled side of the landing as well. If you have pie-shaped, or curved, stairs, install the carpet on theriser in the same way as mentioned above. Once you have selected your carpet, measured, and prepped your stairs, you are ready to begin installing your new carpet. Finishing touches. Make sure to hold the carpet straight and keep it taut. In other words, anyone walking on the carpet will never slip and will hence be safer! After you have measured and obtained the correct length of Stair Runner, you'll need some additional tools to complete the installation, including a. Carpet Stapler. This creates a clean line between the bottom of the stairs and the flooring. If the dimensions of your stairs are not within these guidelines, you'll need to rebuild them for safety. The [amazon link=B00BC1ZIL2 title=Crain 450 Deluxe Carpet Strip Cutter/] is made with sharp durable blades that can cut tack strips both straightly and diagonally. link to How Can You Tell if a Rug is Vintage? These are fairly simple to install; the same general process applies except the carpet is wrapped completely around the tread and stapled underneath. So to add a bit of cushion to each tread, we installed an affordable carpet pad on each step. Since the glue tends to dry quickly, it is recommended that you tackle one stair at a time. Meanwhile, you can check out ways to get rid of stains from your carpet, so your stairs will always look clean and well-maintained. Instead, you'll need to measure each step and cut the carpet to fit. If you plan to install a stair runner without tack strips, you first need to be prepared. The [amazon link=B000M34S08 title=ROBERTS Electric Carpet Stapler/] is the perfect tool if you want to avoid the use of adhesives. Keep the padding within the inner perimeter formed by the strips. Find trusted local pros for any home project. Visit a carpeting outlet to see samples of the patterns and colors available. Step 4 Shape Pad to Step Wrap the carpet down the riser and down the front edge of the stair. The special thing about this product is that it will give you time to make minor adjustments as you stick the floor covering on the floor with it. Apply a 12-inch strip of adhesive to the step and lay the carpet over the step, smoothing it out by hand. You'll need to determine if you have cap stairs, pie stairs, bullnoses, or Hollywood stairs. A seam roller is a handy tool that enables you to bring the carpet pile together thereby showing as little of the seam as possible. Before you get started installing your carpet, you first need to determine the look you want in your home. Take measurements of the stairs before selecting your runner area rug to be sure the rug will have sufficient length and width. Cheryl Simmons is a flooring expert who grew up in the flooring industry, working in her family's retail store since her youth. A carpeted stairway quiets your home by softening footsteps and absorbing sound waves. It is strong and durable making it perfect for heavy-duty use! Measure each step individually and cut a quality carpet pad to fit each step and riser as shown. If you dislike adhesives and the strong odor they bring in the home, you may be attracted to use a carpet stapler. Winder stairs that turn corners are more challenging, but still doable with our expert instructions. Just take it one step at a time. Sometimes people use a saw to cut this strip but that can be dangerous. Moreover, it has an easy opening which makes using the tool a piece of cake. The Henry #663 Carpet Adhesive is a terrific glue that will amaze you with its performance. Tack strips are designed to grip onto the carpet and be stuck between the strip and the wall. The tread is the top surface of the step. Kick back and relax now that the work is done. These combine the best of both worlds, being resilient yet warm and soft. There are a number of tools that can help you install your carpet. Make sure to wrap the padding around the nose of the treads perfectly and staple it in place before moving to the next step. Perhaps you want to use carpet tape to install the floor coverings successfully! Butt pad to front edge of tackless strip. Using a pair of pliers, grip a piece of carpet on the riser, which is the vertical part of a stairnot the part you step on. Why Does My Washing Machine Smell When I Use It? It will allow you to secure the carpet to the floor in no time. Step 4. Starting with the top-most step, put the glue on the tread and riser while staying about an inch with the chalk marks. Pre-hemmed runners are usually sold in one of a few widths, most commonly 27 and 32 inches, so choose the one that fits your tread size with as much (or as little) wood showing as desired. If you plan to have a runner custom cut (or if you need help visualizing how your stairs would appear partially covered with a carpet runner), try draping brown kraft paper or a flat sheet folded lengthwise to determine the right runner width. To make the template, measure each individual step and riser, as they may not all be built to the exact same dimension. To make the template, measure each individual step and riser, as they may not all be built to the exact same dimension. The verdict is clear, if having a tidy seam is important to you, get a seam roller. Trim the pad where the nosing and the top of the riser meet and, if using the waterfall method, clip the corners so you wont see the pad. Drill 116-inch pilot holes at each mark. Starting from the centre, move towards the edge to eliminate any air bubble. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Use carpet tool and rubber mallet to pack runner tightly between the tackless strip and the riser. The thick and fluffy pile becomes hard and compacted, while stains and discolorations may be visible reminders of household spills and mishaps. Its thick and fluffy, feels great on your feet, and adds warmth and comfort to your home. Continue across the riser until all of the carpet has been removed. If you purchase an inferior carpet stapler, be ready to see it jam! Step 4: Spread the carpet adhesive on the treads and edges of the concrete stairs with a trowel. Copyright 2023 This Old House Ventures, LLC. The width of the stairs depends on how much of the area you want to cover. The instructions will be much easier to follow if you speak the same language. To install carpet on stairs and landing, youll need these materials. The runner pad that goes under the rug costs between $14 and $72. All rights reserved. Compared to carpeting in other parts of the home, stairs can begin to look threadbare much sooner. The [amazon link=B00107M76M title=Economy Adjustable Knee Kicker/] is designed to make carpet installation projects easier. Add a touch of elegance, texture and color to your homes interior staircase by installing a carpet runner. Roberts Electric Staple Gun is a Favorite Electric Staple gun of Mine Why? While it is possible to install carpeting without a stretcher, the results will look terrible, with wrinkles and lumps quickly forming. Trim the excess carpet at the end. She is a writer and fact checker for TripSavvy, as well as a fact-checker for The Spruce. Another option is to carpet each stair individually where the foot lands. Carpet Seam Iron. Fasten the carpet underneath the nosing of the tread with staples and wrap the carpet around the nosing and over the tack strip at the back of the tread. Ensure you have tools such as: carpet adhesive, seam iron, seam roller glue, stair tool, cushion-back carpet cutter, knee kicker, tack strip cutter and hammer tacker. Carefully place the tack strip and any pieces or tacks into a contractor bag. Fasten edge of pad to tread with 916-inch staples spaced every 3 inches. Some stairs have carpeting that runs up the center with edges that are bare hardwood. Before removing the carpet, you need to find out what kind of flooring is underneath. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2014 |Handyman tips |All Rights Reserved. This is a disaster waiting to happen. You will need the extra space in order to tuck the edges of the carpet over the strips. The Roberts Carpet Stair Tool is a wonderful investment that will help you install carpets in your stairs with excellence. Once this happens, it is fixed to a tack strip. But by the time you buy or rent the specialty tools, padding, seaming tape, and other supplies necessary, the extra $1 to $1.50 per-square-foot cost for pro installation starts to seem like a bargain. Step 1: Measure the stairs to calculate the length of the carpet youll need. Step 10: Allow the marble adhesive to dry completely as per the manufacturers instructions. Tiny nails, tacks with wide tops, strips of adhesive and staples are usually used to keep a carpet in place on one of the high traffic areas of a home. Now that you have the low-down on how to install carpets on your stairs, it is time to get stuck into your next DIY project. Pull pad tight around nosing and staple every 3 inches into underside of nosing. It has the ability to drive the carpet into difficult to reach areas like gullies and crease carpet along the wall line. Over time, carpet can become loose, You can re-stretch the carpet with a carpet stretcher to pull it taut. You wont have to worry about installing your carpet with this tape since its so easy to use. Tools Needed for a Smooth Stair Runner Installation. Cut the rest using a carpet cutter. Stair runners are priced by the linear foot, and available in two widths: 27 inches and 32 inches. 18 Designs for Basement Stairs that Add Style and Function, Step 7: Begin Installing Carpet on Stairs, How to Paint a Staircase to Spruce Up Your Entryway, How to Pour Concrete Steps for a Porch or Outdoor Entryway, 38 DIY Headboard Ideas for a Low-Cost Bedroom Refresh, How to Build Outdoor Wooden Steps to Spruce Up Your Entry, 34 Fun Window Treatment Projects to Add Personality to Any Room, How to Install Loose-Lay Sheet Vinyl Flooring in a Few Hours, How to Build Storage Under Basement Stairs in Only a Few Hours, Your Step-by-Step Guide to Reupholstering a Chair, How to Build Wide Deck Steps for a Grand Backyard Entrance, How to Make a Pallet Potting Bench for Your Gardening Projects, How to Make Your Own Colorful Punch Needle Designs at Home. The [amazon link=B00BC1ZCK4 title=Crain 301 Cushion Back Carpet Cutter/] is designed to trim seam edges close to the tufts with neatness. Push end of runner against floor at bottom of first riser. Since youre probably a beginner, the fact that this adhesive gives you a bit of wiggle room is great. 5. WebMaterials and Tools Required to Install Carpet on Marble Stairs Lets take a look at some of the things you need for carpet installation. Dispose of carpeting, tack strips, carpet padding, and any other debris according to your local waste disposal regulations. Step 8: Smooth the surface of the carpet with your hands. The idea is to ensure the carpet staple is properly driven inside the floor! Power stretchers have a lever and a pole which apply tension on the carpet across the room. Caitlin Sole is the senior home editor at BHG. All You Need to Know about Muzaffarabad The Capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. To install a carpet, you may need some tools from the following: carpet glue, knife, seam iron, seam roller, stapler, tape, stair tool, knee kicker, cushion-back carpet cutter, hammer tacker and tack strip cutter. So make a wise decision unless you want to feel upset. You'll need to make a template and cut the carpet to fit when all the padding is attached. Once we cut the pad, we attached the pad to the stair tread using a hammer stapler. If this is the case, plan for a lot of scraping to get the old glue off and the possibility of damage to the underlying floor. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. To provide each of your wooden steps with a little more cushion, lay down a base of carpet padding. For example, if the total length of the carpet required for your staircase is 10 feet, then you should cut 12 feet for installation. 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. You can also use a stair tool to secure the carpet into the seam. Once you have brought the carpet around the posts, wrap it around the side of the stair and fasten it underneath the side nosing. Then, using a tape measure and a straightedge, cut the carpet to template size. They may require that you dispose of your old carpet at a designated waste drop-off facility or that you schedule a bulk-trash pickup. When I got married I wanted my home to look as amazing as possible. Tip: If runner bulges and doesnt lie flat against the tread, lift it straight up off the strip and begin again. This positioning tool is designed for use with low-profile carpet, and features teeth angled forward to help grip and hold the carpet. A hammer tacker is a tool that differs from carpet staplers in the way it operates! You can either mark this point on the top stair or on each step, depending on what seems more convenient to you. This is one of the most popular glues in the market and rightly so. If you plan on carpeting your stairs, then you might want to invest in a superior carpet stapler. If you follow our DIY guide on how to install carpet on stairs, you can upgrade your entire home dcor and give your staircase a stylish makeover all by yourself. They add some charm to any style of interior design. Study the carpet installation method before purchasing any tool. After glue dries to touch, unroll runner up 3 or 4 treads, making sure its between the layout marks. At top of last riser, cut runner tight to the underside of the nosing or molding. But after years of use, carpeting just doesnt look or feel the same. To do the waterfall method, follow the same steps but skip the step that requires attaching the carpet underneath the tread. This is a standard rule of carpet installation: Do not lay the padding over the tackless strips. Dont forget to run beads of adhesive between the treads and risers of each step. 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 thecarpetingalong the edges. Good padding is worth the investment, because it can extend the life of the carpet on this highly trafficked corridor. It is recommended to sit two steps below the stair you are covering so that you can properly lay down the carpet. Measure the width of the stair and length. Ive experienced success in using it to tuck the carpet in various crevices. On average, you can expect to pay between $150 and $600 to carpet stairs, including new carpet for the landing. Proper carpet disposal is an important part of the project. Staple each edge of the runner 2 inches above bottom of riser. You can remove the carpet from the treads using the same method as the risers, or you can use a knee-kick tool to quickly release the tension on the carpet so that you can easily life it from the tack strip instead of prying it away. What You Need Tape measure Carpet knife Hammer stapler Straightedge Wall trimmer Stair tool Carpet Pad Tackless strips Hot melt seaming tape Seam sealer They are also generally safer as you are less likely to slip and lose your balance while climbing carpet-covered steps. Recenter the runner, then push the carpet back over the nosing and toward the next tack strip. Step 7: Press the starting edge of the carpet on the top-most tread and then continue to press it down on the riser. Place front edge of knee kicker on center of the runner about 2 inches from the riser. Its the best of both worlds! In other words, using this knee kicker ensures the carpet is taut when installed! Center the cut strippins angled toward riserbetween the layout marks. The larger the pattern, the more waste you will have. Tip: Staple carpet directly to stairs, never through the pad. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You need to measure each step very carefully and cut a carpet pad to fit onto each step and riser. Apart from that, it is built to be more durable and lightweight than its competitors. The only main difference is that there will be a lot more excess to trim. This tool is called a carpet stair tool. It is a strong performer that rarely ever jams. Spread marble adhesive on the stairs using a caulking gun, if available. The width of the carpet depends on whether you want to cover the width of the entire step or want to leave some marble peeking out from both sides and only cover the centre part of the stairs. NOTE! The name of the tool itself is pretty self-explanatory. Wide Economy Knee Kicker The Economy Knee Kicker secures carpet during The Economy Knee Kicker secures carpet during installation and makes it easy to fix loose carpet. Carpet Glue. Now it was time to finally place the carpet runner! These tools, available for lease at tool rental centers and home centers, include a seam iron, power stretcher, and knee kicker. Prepare for the possibility that youll need to replace parts of the stairs, fix breaks, or treat infestations after removing the carpet. Roberts Electric Staple Gun. Repeat this process for the entire length of the staircase. Slide a putty knife under the tack strip to help protect the stair, then place the edge of a pry bar on top of the putty knife and under the edge of the tack strip. These wooden strips have small carpet tacks attached to them, which make installing carpet on wooden stairs much easier. There are a few carpet installation tools that you need to have. Make certain that the strips angle in toward each other, so that the points of the tacks will come close to touching. She has written nearly 100 articles for The Spruce, mainly covering everything having to do with carpeting from colors and filaments to runners to area rugs. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Use XFasten Carpet Tape if you wish to protect pets, elderly and children. Then, using the centre point as a guide, mark the points where the outer edges of the carpet will lay on the marble stairs.