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What is your bottom step made of now? Can you faux paint it to look like walnut?

The best method/look and is the most popular carpet runner selection chosen is with a bound edge. See photos below. Typically if it is just a tuck and rolled edge you will be unhappy due to the increased thickness at each side. I hope you received this answer in time. Have a great Day

Most tack strip comes with hardened nails (check before you buy) but they do require a bit of skill to drive into concrete. Basically you want to drive them with one clean strike which typically requires heavier hammer, a fast arm, and a good eye. Tapcons are a brand of concrete screw, synonymous with the category like Kleenex is to facial tissue. You don’t need any kind of special epoxy to use them. Basically you drill a pilot hole with a masonry drill bit and then drive the screw. A hammer drill will make drilling the pilot hole a lot easier but it’s not absolutely required. You could also use ordinary screws and a plastic anchor just like you would with drywall. Another option (and a lot of fun) is to use a powder actuated faster and I suspect what the original contractor may have used (although there are pneumatic concrete nailers as well). Hilti and Ramset are two brands associated with the devices. Basically they use a .22 blank cartridge to drive a nail. A bit of a learning curve, modest investment ($35 for the tool), eye and ear protection absolutely required.