How To Add A Stair Runner to Your Stairs
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Why Add A Runner
I feel like there are a lot of people who would be furious with the thought of adding a runner to beautiful wood stairs. Honestly, I put it off for awhile because I didn't think it would look good and I wasn't sure if I would like it. However, the stairs that I added the runner to, needed it. The stairwell is very tall and there is a pretty loud echo. Jackie also had an issue with slipping on the stairs on a daily basis, so I decided it was time to add the runner. So let's talk about how to add a runner to your wood stairs!
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | How to Measure for Your Runner
Before we start into this project, let's talk about how to measure for the runner. You may need to purchase more than one runner to get something long enough to fit your stairs (I did) so keep that in mind!
First, measure the width (side to side) of one step. The width of the step will tell you how wide of a runner you will need. You will want to get a runner that is smaller than the width of your step, but the size really depends on what you want.
Second, measure the depth (top to bottom or back to front) of the tread (horizontal) and the riser (vertical) of one step. After you have done this, count the number of steps you have, including any extra risers or treads.
Third, you are going to add the depth of the tread and the riser and then multiply them by the number of stairs. This will give you the total INCHES of runner you will need. In order to figure out the number of feet, divide that number by 12. Here is an equation you can use to find out the number of feet you will need:
(depth of tread + depth of riser) * # of stairs = total inches/12 = total feet needed
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Supplies
Runner for length of your stairs (see above section)
Carpet pad (optional, I didn't use this)
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Centering Your Runner & Taping
Once you have the runner and all of the supplies that you need, you need to mark the middle of each step (half of the width that you previously measured). You should also use the blue tape to mark where the outside of rug will land on each step, this will help you keep the runner straight. Don't do what I did and skip this step. I had to redo a bunch of steps because I didn't mark these spots and I ended up going down the stairs crooked!
After you have marked the center and outer edges of where your runner will go on the stairs, you need to start cutting the carpet tape. Cut two pieces of tape for each step and cut them to the same width as the runner. Once you have enough strips of tape, lay them on your steps. Do one at the back of each tread and one at the front of each tread. Leave the paper backing on the tape until you have actually put the runner down!
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Laying & Securing The Runner
Your stairs are ready for you to lay down and secure the runner! Start at the top of the stairs and nail the end of the runner either to the tread or the raiser, depending on where you want the runner to hit. I nailed mine to the riser so that the runner didn't come into contact with the carpet at the top of the stairs.
As you move from tread to riser, pull the runner tight so you don't have any bunching or ripples. When you get to the treads where the tape is waiting, pull the paper backing off of the tape, pull the runner taught and lay over the tape. Then pull the runner over the tread and onto the riser, nailing the runner under the tread. You will want to nail only on the risers, which is where feet won't land. Use as many nails as you need to in order to make sure the runner is secure and taught.
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Combining 2 Runners
I mentioned at the beginning of this post that you may need to combine two runners in order to get the length that you need for your stairs. This is what I ended up doing so let's walk through what I did in order to combine the runners.
First, before I even started the process, I figured out where the patterns on my runners would best match up and I decided where to cut the second runner. Second, I cut the edging off the ends of both runners, so there wouldn't be a seam. Third, when I got to the end of the first runner, I made sure to nail the end very well to keep it in place. I then matched up the second runner and started to nail that one into place. It is important to make sure the runners are level when you do this to make sure that the second runner doesn't become crooked.
I did end up with a small gap where the two runners met. I took a strip of extra runner and nailed it into that gap and you couldn't see it anymore!
How to Add a Runner to Your Wood Stairs | Shop
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