How to carpet stairs

[stevethejoiner]

I am building an oak staircase. It is all oak and we do not want to entirely cover it up with carpet, so we intend to have carpet runner.
My question is, how do you run a stair runner around a dog leg staircase as per my drawing. I am thinking the carpet will have to be bound on the edges and carpet rods hold it back on the risers but what holds the carpet runner taught on the quarter landings.

Untitled

• stevethejoiner
• 4 Jan 2012
• 1

 

[crazydaze]

Stair Rods are entirely decorative nowadays, most fitters will fit a stair runner in exactly the same way wether rods are being used or not, they sipmly fit over the top (provided you order the right ones with the right brackets in the right size.

For underlay, ideally use a crumb rubber product like Duralay Treadmore, it is a low height but very hardwearing and is less visible in profile when seen from the side if you have open stringers.

How you fit the carpet on the turn etc will depend on a few things, the type and style of carpet and personal preference/skill level.

To be honest, a good quality stair runner and stair installation with stair rods on an installation on a turn like you have is best left to a profesional fitter, it's probably the most difficult carpet fitting job to do properly.

Essentially, a fitter will visit , measure, quote, he would then return to measure everything up and cut the carpet down to the various shapes and sizes, take the carpet away and have the carpet edges whipped or finished to spec, then re-visit to fit the carpet, lastly it's often the case that the fitter will then measure for rods, order and come back and fit them if they are solid rods made to order. If you go for cheap hollow rods, these can be pre-ordered and cut to size on site but are not as hard wearing and won't look as good.

We use http://www.stairrods.co.uk/ for most of our stair runner accessories etc.

 

[stevethejoiner]

Stair Rods are entirely decorative nowadays, most fitters will fit a stair runner in exactly the same way wether rods are being used or not, they sipmly fit over the top (provided you order the right ones with the right brackets in the right size.

For underlay, ideally use a crumb rubber product like Duralay Treadmore, it is a low height but very hardwearing and is less visible in profile when seen from the side if you have open stringers.

How you fit the carpet on the turn etc will depend on a few things, the type and style of carpet and personal preference/skill level.

To be honest, a good quality stair runner and stair installation with stair rods on an installation on a turn like you have is best left to a profesional fitter, it's probably the most difficult carpet fitting job to do properly.

Essentially, a fitter will visit , measure, quote, he would then return to measure everything up and cut the carpet down to the various shapes and sizes, take the carpet away and have the carpet edges whipped or finished to spec, then re-visit to fit the carpet, lastly it's often the case that the fitter will then measure for rods, order and come back and fit them if they are solid rods made to order. If you go for cheap hollow rods, these can be pre-ordered and cut to size on site but are not as hard wearing and won't look as good.

We use http://www.stairrods.co.uk/ for most of our stair runner accessories etc.

Thank you,

We already have antique stair rods, heavy solid rods and fittings, so that's sorted.
But being an old traditional tradesman I wanted to get some knowledge on what should be done to produce a quality professionally job regarding the carpet fitting(a subject I know nothing about). Then when I start getting companies in to quote I will know who is giving me the correct quote for the job and that I am not accepting one from a cowboy fitter.
Thanks again.

 

[crazydaze]

Do you have an idea as to what carpet you are thinking of? A plain carpet will be more simple to explain, a patterned or striped carpet can be fitted but pattern directions etc will be all over the place and more difficult to explain!

There are also a number of different options available for the aesthetics of your turns on that stair case, I would suggest that if you want a runner on every part of your stairs, then each step and turn should be templates in one piece with no seaming do the shape of the carpet mirrors the step rather than a thin band of carpet following up and round the stairs. It's possibly to close cover and shape the risers of the turn steps too, it very much depends on what you prefer the look of and the type of carpet you are choosing. To fit the carpet to those steps, a combination of things ca. Be used depending in carpet type and style but essentially, the carpet can be pinned or glued.

One thing is for sure, you should definitely be offered a Crumb Rubber underlay for the installation, if you are only offered a rubber or puFoam underlay then consider wether this will really suit your needs. Crumb rubber like Duralay Treadmore is a relatively thin, firm underlay but will give superb wear and support and minimise the gap behind the carpet and stair riser, rubber or puFoam will be nowhere near as supportive in a like for like depth.