How to Install a Stair Runner: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Time needed: 4 hours

It took us about 4 hours to install the stair runner from start to finish. Not bad at all, though my knees were sore, lol. Overall, this project moved pretty quickly and was not difficult. I was able to zone out and listen to an audiobook for a good portion of the project.

1. Measure to determine your total runner length.

   To determine how many runners you need to order, measure the depth of the stair tread and the height of the riser. Add those two numbers together. Then multiply that number by the total number of stairs you need to cover with the runner. Then divide that number by 12 to determine the total number of feet you need for your stair runner.
   Our treads measure 10.5 inches and our risers measure 9 inches. We have 17 stairs. So our formula was 19.5 inches x 17 stairs = 331.5 inches ÷ 12 = 27.625 feet (rounded up to 28 feet)
   Note that if you need multiple runners to reach the total length you need, DO order consistent lengths. In other words, if you need 28 feet of coverage, you should order (4) 8-foot runners instead of (2) 12-foot runners and an 8-foot runner. This will ensure your pattern scale is consistent.

2. Cut your carpet pad to size.

   You want your carpet pads to be completely covered by your stair runner. Our stair runner is 31″ wide, so we decided to make our rug pads 29″ wide. I made a 29″ x 9″ template out of cardboard, which made it a lot easier to quickly cut out the rug pads.
   
   
   
   

3. Add double-sided carpet tape to the carpet pads.

   As I cut the carpet pads out using my template, Joe added two strips of carpet tape to them.
   
   

4. Tape the carpet pads onto your stair treads.

   We then taped them to the stair treads, making sure they were centered properly as we worked.
   
   

5. OPTIONAL: Treat your runners with a fabric guard.

   This is totally optional, but since the runner we chose is cotton and has many light areas, and we have two kids and a dog, we used my favorite fabric guard to treat our stairs runners before we installed them. Unfortunately, the fabric guard I have loved for years is no longer sold, but any fabric guard that can be used on the material your stair runner is made from should work! It's quick and easy. You don't need to saturate the rugs—you only need to make sure the entire area has been sprayed. Then you let it dry for 10 minutes.
   
   

6. Staple the top of your runner into place.

   We started installing our stair runner at the top of the stairs. We chose to cover the “partial tread” at the top of our stairs, which meets the carpet in our hallway because I felt this would look better than having a bare tread at the top of the stairs. This is totally my personal preference.
   
   I cut off the finished edge of the runner so that we could tuck it in to meet up with the carpet (the finished edge was too bulky to do this).
   
   
   
   If you prefer not to cover your top tread, you would simply align the top of the runner with the bottom edge of the first tread and you would leave the finished edge of the runner intact. Either way, you will want to use your staple gun to staple the runner in place approximately every 3 inches. Be sure to staple both outer edges.
   
   

7. Wrap the runner around the bullnose of your stair tread.

   Since our stair treads have bullnoses, we chose a “wrap-style” installation, meaning that we wrapped the runner taut around the bullnose and stapled it in place under each bullnose approximately every 3 inches (always being sure to staple both outer edges).
   
   

8. Secure the runner at the base of the stair riser.

   We also stapled every 3 inches or so at the base of the riser. The bolster chisel really helps you keep the rug taut as you staple.
   
   

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you reach the end of your stair runner.

   Keep wrapping your stair treads and stapling your stair runner in place until you reach the end of your first runner. We periodically took measurements to ensure that our runner remained perfectly centered on the stair treads as we worked.

10. Join your next runner.

    I recommend joining your next runner at the back of the tread, though I suppose you could do it under a bullnose as well. We chose to join ours where the tread and riser meet because that made the most sense given where our pattern fell.
    
    You will want to cut the end of your first runner off, leaving only about 2 inches for overlap. Cutting the factory edge off will help reduce bulk.
    
    
    
    Overlap the 2-inch scrap of your first runner with your second runner and staple it into place. Be sure to align the outer edges of both runners as you do. What you are left with is the cut-off edge of the first runner being covered by the factory edge of your second runner, which gives it a nice, clean look.
    
    

11. Repeat the steps above to install the joined riser.

    Keep stapling your second runner into place just as you did with your first runner.
    Repeat this process until you get to the stair riser at the bottom of your stairs.

12. Secure the stair runner to the bottom of your stairs.

    When you reach the tread of your bottom stair, pull the runner taut against the bottom riser with the bolster chisel and cut off the end of the runner, leaving 2 extra inches. Then fold under the extra 2 inches of runner and staple the double layer of your runner against the bottom of your riser.
    
    
    
    We installed a small strip of oak that we stained to match our wood floors along the bottom of the runner to give it a nice, finished look.
    
    

13. Add the finishing details.

    At the bottom of the stairs, we installed a flat strip of oak that we stained to match our wood floors along the bottom of the runner to give it a nice, finished look.
    
    
    
    At the top of the stairs, we stained a piece of oak quarter-round and nailed it into place to create a nice transition between the top of the stair runner and the carpet in our upstairs hallway. Ignore the dog hair on the carpet in this photo–I was tired and didn't feel like vacuuming before taking it.