To create a finished staircase and prevent the noisy clatter of footsteps up and down the stairs, a carpet runner is the solution. The carpeting adds warmth and comfort to your steps, and it is designed and sized to fit on a stairway.
You’ll find stair runners at carpeting retailers and home improvement centers in a nice selection of colors, designs and styles sold by the foot in widths of 26 and 31 inches. If you’re shopping at a retailer bring a tape measurer to confirm the width of a runner. Have on hand the number of steps, the depth of the stair tread and the height of the riser to calculate the length of carpeting and padding you need. The runner and padding are fastened to a staircase with tackless carpet strips secured on the stair and riser using a knee kicker that tucks the material in place.
Some people ordering new wall-to-wall carpeting for a room near a staircase like to use that same carpeting as a runner by having it cut and finished as a stair runner. But stair runners alone are sold online; you can find one by typing “stair runners” in a search engine.
A carpeting installer will charge $761, which includes labor and material, to install a runner and padding on a 13-step, straight staircase. A DIYer can do the job for $475, which includes the cost of the material—runner, padding, tackless strips—plus a day’s rental of a knee kicker. The keyword there is “straight,” because it’s a continuous length of carpeting. If the stairs turn and require custom cut carpeting, hire a pro for the best installation.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved
$761—$475—5.5—8.0—$286—38 percent
