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Carpet questions on which kind and stair options

16 years ago

We've got 2100 sq. feet of carpet that needs to be put in...we're replacing 1000 sq. feet and 1100 is new construction upstairs.

I would like to use a frieze downstairs in 3 bedrooms and a cut pile upstairs...will that look strange? Any tips on what to buy? I'm set on nylon and trying to find weight greater than 50 ounces..probably going with the 6 pound pad.

Secondly, we have stairs going straight up that are boxed and carpeted...we'll have red oak running up to them and I"d love to see if I could get hardwood risers for them...will I have to rip out the current box and just start over? Can I just lay the hardwood top and a thing sheet of paintable plywood or such for the kick part? The only other option I thought of was just using wood matching my kitchen floor on the sides and have a runner installed down the middle to keep people from falling down hardwood stairs. They have berber on their stairs now and it's very worn down and I just don't like the look of all carpeted stairs..any tips on how to handle this? The stairs are enclosed by walls on both sides all the way up..so there are no spindles to deal with..

Thanks!

TAra

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Solid wood stairs or carpet on stairs...which would you do?
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Comments (26)
The potential problems with removal of runner are dependent upon how the runner was installed. Some dearies actually tack the runner to the steps, tread and riser. Ouch, because removal leaves those holes to be filled and stained to match (very difficult to conceal). An alternative method is to use carpet bars which come in wood or metal, in an assortment of finishes. This is slightly more expensive but imo, also *looks* more luxurious. The carpet is barred at the back of the tread where it meets the riser; best practice has the runner tacked beneath each tread rather than slanted from top-front to the back of the next lower riser. Note that under-tread tacking also uses the most running feet of carpet, so the most finished appearance is going to cost. There are several other methods, so discuss intent with the installer before s/he does the work. One thing for sure, is to not use any sort of sticky-back tape: it either doesn't hold well, or holds too well and removel is labor-intensive. Because of the carpet pile height, if possible choose treads that are slightly deeper than usual so as to maintain fully safe depth.
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Staircase options? Carpet runners? Pads?
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We got a great deal in our last house on remnant wool runner carpet for our stairs, as our staircase was not very big. It was not DIY but the price installed was less than we would have paid just for the carpet had we ordered a special pattern. So you might call around to local carpet shops to see if they have any leftover runner that may fit. Good luck!
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Most economical = carpet. After that, a solid finish (wood, cork, vinyl, tile, stone, etc) will require all the extras. Painted stairs will work...with plenty of elbow grease and with the FULL UNDERSTANDING the paint will wear/chip/"patina" inside of a few years. There are ways to lay a runner on the stairs and then trim out the edges of the tread/riser with wood-looking stuff. This will cut the cost in half of what I mention above. The other option is to place the runner and PAINT out the edges....creating a faux-painted-wood look which could be very handsome yet extremely practical. Notice how carpet keeps on coming up again and again? Yah. There's a reason for that. Those are builder grades stairs made for carpet.
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Is it overkill? Depends on the pattern in the rest of your space. I love bold pattern, staircases included.
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