‘Best’ way to install carpet on stairs?
madmadscientist
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hello All,
We are wanting to have our back stairs carpeted. The stairs are nothing fancy (we built them ourselves) with no nosings. They are 3′ wide and as steep as legal around here. We just finished the drywalling and painting in the stair well and now we want them carpeted.
What do y’all think is a good type of carpet for over wood stairs?
What about padding. thickness and type?
How should the carpeting be attached to the stairs? Staples-tack strips?
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
Replies
Daniel,
Are you the same Daniel from the lovemyoldhouse forum? The speaker niche guy?
I just carpeted the stairs to my finished attic. I figured out the size or carpet I needed. I went to a local carpet store and found a remnant that was large enough. I think it cost about $150-$200.
I went to home depot and bought an electric staple gun for about $20-$25. and some nice long staples. I have a landing halfway up the stair. I bought some tack strips from Home Depot and nailed them around the perimeter of the landing. I rented a knee kicker from Home Depot for a day. I started on the landing and stretched the carpet as best I could before putting it on the tack strips.
After the landing was done I stretched and stapled the carpet up the steps, doing one step at a time. It's a basic job that most folks should be able to do. Not much skill required. Just take your time and make sure you get the carpet stretched as much as possible.
Good Luck
Mike K
Amateur Home Remodeler in Aurora, Illinois
Are you the same Daniel from the lovemyoldhouse forum? The speaker niche guy?
Hi Mike, yes its me the speaker niche guy. After you talked up these forums on the old house list I decided to check them out.
You did not use any padding under the carpet on the stairs? I know that its probably technically not that hard to do. I am just looking for what some more experts think is the best way before I either do it myself or have someone do it. We have already picked out the remenant at the local carpet store. They are coming out to give us a free estimate this week and I want to be prepared.
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
Yes, put your under pad on after the carpet strip, then follow Mike's advice.
So you would not put tack strips on each tread just on the risers? What type of staples should I use? 18 gauge 1" or what? Won't the staples show thru the carpet? SWMBO has picked some industrial type tight weave berber style carpet for the stairs.
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
dont' take advantage of somebody elses time! Decide if you're going to be doing the work or contracting it out before getting estimates.
I mostly posted this because I want to contract it out and I want to make sure that the job is done correctly since I don't know jack about carpet installation. Its mostly the people on these forums who tell me to do it myself and save the cash.
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
Dan,Since I have seen some of the work you have done on your house I would recommend you do this job yourself. You should have no problem.The carpet I used was medium pile. I stapled the steps where the treads met the risers. Then I wrapped the carpet down around the tread overhang and stapled under the tread overhang. The staples do not show.Mike K
Amateur Home Remodeler in Aurora, Illinois
"Its mostly the people on these forums who tell me to do it myself and save the cash."
Not on this forum, buddy!
we're mostly the people who go out and earn that money.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA