Do you not like the noise hardwood stairs have when you walk down them? Maybe you don’t like the coldness on your bare feet. I have some tips to help you choose a carpet for your stairs.
If you like the look of the natural wood, or hardwood stairs you can go with a carpet runner. Runners are inexpensive and easy to install. Home Depot and Lowes both carry runner carpet by the foot.
I personally don’t like the look of traditional runners so I prefer to pick out a carpet from the carpet section of the store that is generally applied to the whole floor. To pick a carpet for your stairs you will want to choose a texture cut or berber carpet. These are thicker than traditional runner carpet and easier to install. Loop pile texture carpet has a tendency to fray on the stair edge over time.
If you choose these type of carpets over the runner, you will want to make sure a professional cuts and binds the edges of the carpet. If you leave the edges unbound they will eventually unravel. Carpet cleaning port charlotte fl is one of the best carpet services that you may consider. They will also provide you some ideas about the proper ways of taking good care of your carpet.
Which ever type of carpet you choose remember that it will receive a lot of foot traffic and a lot of dirt. The best carpet I have found to keep clean is Mohawk SmartStrand as it has stain protection woven into each strand instead of just sprayed across the top. I had white carpet in my house with a baby and 3 years later my carpets are still white as new.
Make a small mark on each step where the runner will rest, an inside mark to show where the padding will go and an outside mark to show where the carpet will go. Cut the padding into rectangles slightly smaller than your runner and place on the steps.
Unroll the carpet a little bit, center it and place it a few steps up from the bottom. Have someone hold the roll as you pull the end to the bottom of the stairs.
Create a row of staples where the carpet meets the floor using a heavy-duty stapler. Pull the carpet taut and create another row of staples underneath the lip of the stair tread.
Use a power stretcher to pull the runner tight while you make another row of staples between the vertical part of the stair and the tread. Use the stair tool to push the carpet into the corner to hide the staples.
Call a professional if you are unsure you’re installing the carpet properly. Improperly installed runners can cause diasters for you, family members, friends and pets.