HOW TO CARPET THE STAIRS?

Carpeting your stairs is a stylish and functional investment in your home or office. Carpet creates a soft, inviting look that makes places warmer and more comfortable. It also absorbs the impact of footsteps to quieten it. Carpeted stairs are safer than hard surfaces as they are padded in the case of a fall. How to carpet the stairs? What should be considered when carpeting the stairs?

The Process of Carpeting the Stairs

The process of carpeting the stairs begins with finding the right carpet. Stairs are areas with heavy human traffic. Therefore, your carpet should be easy to clean and durable. Carpet padding forms the basis of your carpet. This soft material extends the life of your carpet and helps it feel soft underfoot.

Each stair step (the flat part where you step), the riser (the back side of each step), and your descent must be measured separately. After choosing your carpet, you can make precise cuts with a craft knife. You should work on a surface that is not valuable to you, as it is likely to be damaged.

If your stair treads are all the same, you can make a template and cut all your filler pieces from it. However, this won't work on curved stairs or stairs near non-steep walls. For steps of different size or shape, you must measure each piece separately.

Correct Placement and Reducing Damages
Centerless strips are strips of wood with small carpet nails attached. You do not need separate fasteners when placing your carpet. Centerless strips make carpeting easier for homeowners interested in DIY. When nailing non-staple strips, put a piece of heavy cardboard between the strip and the baseboard. The cardboard will act as a buffer and protect your broom from any damage caused by hammering it.

Attach smooth strips to each carpet riser and to the back of the steps. A spacer made of two strapless strips taped together can help you determine how high the adhesive strips should be. Add more strips to the front of the upstream side and the edge of the downside of the stair riser base.

Take your carpet padding pieces and staple them in place with a hammer stapler. Start in the middle of each stair tread and place it along the length of the pad, just in front of each non-intrusive strip. Wrap the padding around the front of the ladder and under the riser so that it fits snugly without creasing or clumping before stapling.

French Cap Method

Now it's time to carpet, starting from your lowest step and continuing up to the landing. The French Cap method is the best method for carpeting the stairs as it provides the cleanest finish. Center a piece of carpet on the bottom edge of a step and push it into your strips. You should always use an awl rather than your hands to push your carpet down. Make sure the carpet is not folded while stapling.