Fitting a Stair Carpet

Fitting an offcut of carpet on a stairway isn't difficult, providing you don't rush the work. You will need an extra half a metre (about one and a half foot) of carpeting in length - this allows the carpet to be moved later to even out wear and tear (see step 4).

1. Prise out tacks and nails from old floor-coverings, and repair loose treads (the horizontal 'steps') and risers (the upright sections between each step).
2. Cut a gripper strip to fit at the bottom of each riser and another to fit the back of each tread - fit them so that they abut each other at right angles in the corner of each step, with the spikes facing into the angle made by the strips. Fit on all except the bottom step.
3. Cut a separate piece of underlay to fit on each tread, or buy underlay pads from a carpet supplier (who will cut them to fit your specifications). The front edge folds over the front lip of the step and is tacked to the underside of the tread. Tack the back edge just in front of the gripper strip.
4. Start laying the carpet at the bottom of the stairs. The carpet's pile should face down the stairs so that footsteps don't rub the pile the wrong way. Hide enough extra carpet (by doubling it behind the bottom step) to allow for the carpet to be moved occasionally to spread wear on the nosings (the rounded fronts of the steps). Tack the carpet to the back of the first tread. Add tacks at the bottom of the first riser and then work up the stairs.
5. Using a wide-bladed cold chisel, push the carpet tightly into the angle formed by the gripper strips at each step.
6. When you reach the top of the stairs, take the carpet to the top of the last riser and trim it with a heavy-duty knife. Tack it in place. You must allow enough upstairs carpet to fold down over the lip of the top stair.