Rehabbing interiors with carpeted stairs is a good way to wow prospective buyers. Stair runners give off a feel of luxury and class, and home owners will be delighted with this house improvement project. This article will teach you the rest of the steps in installing a stair runner on straight stairs.

The Part 1 article left off at the installation of carpet pads. Remember, the pad must be clipped around 3 inches if you are using the waterfall method to hide it. After wrapping all treads and nosing with carpet pad, proceed with laying down the carpet. The runners must be pre-measured to be long enough to cover all treads. Pre-measurement is important in rehabbing interiors, and should thus be a standard operating procedure in other projects.

There are two ways to do the laying out although both methods start at the top. One way is to start under the nose of the top landing. The other is starting on the upper landing. If you use the first method, be sure to place the fringe at the back of the rug before positioning the carpet on the first riser. Use a carpet tack to fit the corner of the runner under the nose. The tacks on the ends should be around 4 inches apart. If you opt to start from the upper landing, the top nosing must also be covered with carpet pad.

Once the top end is attached, the carpet must run smooth down to the first corner where the riser and the tread meet. If you are using the waterfall method, the runner must connect the edge of the nosing and the corner. If you are using the upholstered method, the rug must be wrapped around the nosing and then flattened on the riser until it reaches the corner. Once in the corner, use a smooth piece of wood to push it down so it can be gripped by the tackless strip. You may also use a blunt chisel instead of wood.

Before you pound the rug into the corners, lay down the runner on each tread to re-check its length. If the carpet seems a bit long, pull it back a bit. Loosen it a bit if it appears a little short. When done with this, start pounding other corners to attach the rug to the tackless strips on each corner.

To end the rehabbing interiors project, seal the runner. If you plan to “hang” it to the bottom of the lowest riser, be sure to tuck the fringe behind before sealing it with tacks. If the carpet runs a few inches, you can fold it and use 1 1/2″ or 2″ finishing nails instead. Another option is to extend the runner onto the floor. Seal the ends with a few carpet tacks.

Rehabbing interiors by installing a stair runner on straight stairs should be easy with these simple steps.