hi folks,

I'll be installing a stair runner this weekend and have a few quick questions. I've got a power stapler, awl, chisels, tackless strips, padding/underlayment, and will rent a kneekick from the local carpet store.

I do a lot of upholstery work (some by contract) so this is not particularly daunting as a DIY project; I'd just like to do it well, of course, with your input.

The staircase in question has a 4-step gentle curve along a Newell post, then a straight flight of about 10 steps. Thankfully, I have plenty of runner to cover.

Laying method: as I understand it, I tuck under on the curves, a la:

1. Is the picture correct? Doesn't this perhaps lead to excess (visible) bulk along the stairwell post? Should one trim the excess? And how does this affect the continuity of the pattern? If it does affect the pattern, is this a necessary evil or are there insider tricks for placing it?

2. Start at top or start at bottom? The books each give different advice.

3. Most instructions say to simply glue and staple the cut ends down, but I plan on binding them by hand. Is this overkill? Seems too chintzy-looking to do it the other way, and wouldn't the woven rug unravel?

4. Does one indeed use tackless strips with a patterned Persian? Do they disfigure the pattern? I worry that staples/rods alone would not hold the thing tightly enough by themselves. I'm not planning on using rods.

I'm willing to do what it takes to do it right, but would prefer to cut the rug as little as possible (it's a nice, thick wool Anglo-Persian Wilton from 1910).

My gratitude in advance for any insights or tips.

My runner: