Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Install Stair Runner?

Can anybody give me direction on how to install a stair runner? I'm planning on putting one on my main staircase... it will be "upholstered" (as opposed to "waterfall"--it will conform to the shape of the stairs). Pardon my terminology if it's not correct... I'm still learning.

One installation method I've seen uses tack strips and padding. I'm okay with this, with one concern. The stair runner material is fairly thin... I pulled a piece of it down onto a tack strip, and the tacks actually go all the way through & stick out. I can't imagine that to be good... is there some other way with a thin runner (shorter tacks on the tack strip, or some other method altogether)?

If anybody is experienced with this and can offer direction or suggestions, I'd appreciate it. If you can direct me to a website(s) that give installation instructions, that would be great as well. Thanks in advance for the help!

Brian

If this is a manufactured runner here you go:
1). Use a felt padding under the runner.

2). Measure the runner's width, divide by 2, save this number

3). Measure the width of the step, divide by 2 this will be the center of the step,mark the center of the top step.

4). Use the saved number from step 2, measure away from the center mark on each side and mark with a pencil. Use a square to make lines on these marks that extend from the riser to the nose of the step. Measure from the wall to your marks to make repeating marks on the rest of the steps. These will be your ledger marks for the runner.

5). Now using your square make marks on the steps 1 inch toward the center from the runner ledger marks. these will be the padding ledger marks. Measure the distance between these marks. This is the size you will cut your tackless and padding.

6). Nail your tackstrips with the pins pointing TOWARD the riser about 3/8 inch from the riser on all steps. Your carpet is thin as you stated earlier so you will need to cover the tackstrip with one layer of duct tape so the pins wont penetrate too far through the runner.

7). Staple your padding to the top tread so it is 1/4" away from the tackstrip. Staple just above the nose of the step and trim the pad so it extends halfway over the rounder nose of the step. Do this until all steps are padded.

8). Using duct tape, tape the pad that is hanging over the stairnose under the lip of the nosing.

9). Using an electric carpet tacker fasten the runner where the bottom riser meets the floor. Staple the carpet to the bottom of the stairnosing as close to the riser as possible.

10) Using a knee kicker, kick the runner enough to give it a stretch, without killing it, and hook it on the pins of the strip.

11). Using the back side of a DULL linoleum knife crease the carpet into the gulley between the strip and the riser.

12). Repeat steps #9 through #11 until you run out of steps.

13). Enjoy your new floorcovering and a job well done. Oh yeah, post back to let us know how it went.

Well, I couldn't ask for better than that! Thanks. One question... i like the idea of the duct tape to take up some thickness with the tack strips. Would you see any issue with using two strips of tape if I felt that the tacks still protruded through too far? The tacks go easily through the front of the carpet. Again, thanks for the response...

Brian

Daniel did give some excellent instructions, didn't he, Brian? Yes, you can use 2 layers of duct tape. I might have first asked, though, what kind of carpet it was and what the backing was. Can you describe it?

Daniel, I'm curious about the quarter inch between tackless and cushion. I have always trimmed mine flush. Can you explain? Thanks -- and again, good job on the instructions.

JM

I find that as you kick up to the tackless sometimes the pad will ride up on the strip. It is just easier to take a precautionary measure than to move the all the carpet you have not installed yet out of the way to trim a little pad. When the carpet on a step is stretched, it effectively compresses the pad in a forward motion. That should explain the 1/4", and also the statement "without killing it" in step #10.

Jim, the thicker the padding is above the tackstrip, the farther I cut it back from the tackstrip.

¼" gets cut flush to the tackstrip.

I learned this long ago when everyone wanted 5/8" padding. It hooks on the back row of tacks then.

Perry,
Did you ever work with any of the old Omalon 7/8 or 1" pad?

Yes, as an apprentice years ago. I don't know if it was Omalon, but it was 1" thick foam.

I had to use a table saw and cut strips of underlayment to place under the tackstrip, to raise it up before nailing it.