Carpeting the Stairs

I'll admit I waited a while before carpeting my stairs. We'd spent a year replacing the worn-out, chipped and painted treads with hand-finished oak and were enjoying the beautiful wood. A couple of winters with wet shoes and muddy paws showed it was time to preserve that woodwork. I decided that a carpet runner would protect the treads but still show off the oak, while making the steps less slippery and thus safer. A stair runner is also period-appropriate for my Victorian house.
The first step was deciding on the installation method: either Hollywood or waterfall. The Hollywood (or French cap or upholstered) method wraps the carpet around the edge of the tread nosing at each step, fastening it to the riser for a fitted look. This is best on stairs that get a lot of attention, as at entries and landings, in principal hallways, in main bedroom corridors. The waterfall method is more casual. Here the carpet is secured to the edge of the stair tread but then drops straight down to the back of the next tread without being tacked to the riser. This technique is usually saved for thicker, harder-to-handle carpet and for secondary passageways such as kitchen or basement stairs. My staircase was meant to be a showstopper, so I chose the more formal Hollywood method.
The second step was choosing the carpet. Although most runners can be cut down from a larger carpet roll, it would then need hemming on either side to prevent fraying. I opted for a prehemmed runner. These are generally made in 27" and 32" widths. I chose the narrower option to expose more wood. The typical recommendation is to choose a runner width that will expose 4" to 7" of tread on each side. Use a carpet wide enough so that people won't step partially on the wood, which can lead to tripping. A handy tip to visualize the proper width: Cut the available widths out of paper or cardboard and test it on the treads.
この記事は Old House Journal の May - June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Old House Journal の May - June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン

FROM CARRIAGE HOUSE TO A RESIDENCE
On Boston's North Shore, a historic estate building becomes a home.

lighting+ hardware
ELECTRIC-ERA lighting comes in all styles, from traditional reproductions of antique fixtures to whimsical new forms and space-age interpretations.

wall & floor tiles
TILE IS, OF COURSE, found throughout the house, not just in the kitchen and bath.

a transitional HOUSE IN ST. LOUIS
From the Romanesque arch on the exterior to the staircase and mantels inside, this welcoming house boasts beautiful details. Today’s owners have been excellent stewards of all the original Victorian elements while decorating with a nod to American Arts & Crafts design. Chief among their accomplishments has been the painstaking refurbishing of all the oak paneling, stairs, and mantels.

TIMELESS 1920s COLONIAL REVIVAL
A suite of rooms is outfitted by a history- inspired company celebrating 50 years.

lasting quality FOR HOUSES WITH CHARACTER
THE BEST HOMES ARE COMFORTABLE AND PERSONAL. A SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION DOES UPDATES WITH SENSITIVITY.

furniture & decorative accessories
ONLY A VERY SMALL NICHE of old-house owners will create true period rooms.

kitchens & revivalbaths
HOW TO DESIGN a kitchen that will still look good and function well in 20 years? Rely on timeless materials.

walls & ceilings
WHATEVER THE PERIOD, once you have discovered the decorated walltime-honored paint techniques and printed papers, embossed surfaces, ornamental plaster, carved wood, white walls may come to feel like the absence of finish.

A NAUTICAL COTTAGE BATH
A tranquil new bathroom uses color and texture for seaside appeal.