Decorating the stairs with carpet yourself

Features of finishing staircase steps with carpet

Unlike carpet, carpet is distinguished by the absence of an expressive pattern, thanks to which it can be used for flooring in any area, including stairs, corridors, and narrow spaces. This material is particularly durable due to its fairly dense structure - the pile is attached to the primary base, followed by a fixing layer and the last (secondary) base.

The carpet is characterized by increased wear resistance, making it ideal for covering any surface, including stairs

To properly decorate a staircase with carpet, you need to think in advance about what type of material is suitable and how to lay it correctly. To do this, you first need to decide whether the coating will be continuous or fragmented. In the first case, it will cover the entire staircase, in the second - only the surface of the tread.

Before laying, it is necessary to accurately determine the dimensions of the treads and risers

It is equally important to calculate the amount of carpet. It's quite easy to do this:

1. Measurements are taken along the way from top to bottom.
2. It is necessary to determine the dimensions of the treads and risers, calculate the area, and add 4 cm to each value.
3. Then determine the coverage area for the upper and lower areas.

Pros and cons of staircases with carpet

Carpeting has great advantages. A very pleasant appearance immediately catches your eye - even the old staircase is noticeably transformed and looks better.

Even the simplest covering of steps with self-adhesive carpet looks very interesting

In addition, this finishing method has other advantages:

• durable material - lasts for years;
• easy to set up and put away;
• easy to clean with detergents;
• creates sound insulation;
• insulates the surface, which is especially important for concrete and metal stairs;
• does not cause allergies (if the fiber is artificial);
• allows you to create any staircase design, thanks to which it will fit perfectly into the interior of the room.

However, carpeting is not without its disadvantages:

• possible allergic reactions to wool carpet;
• promotes dust accumulation;
• insects can live in natural fibers;
• artificial canvas is not so durable.

In terms of its advantages, carpet beats many other types of finishes. Carpeting can be easily re-laid, so even if it wears out, there will be no problems replacing the material.

Types of carpet for stairs

Today, various carpet coverings are produced. They differ in production technology, weaving and other characteristics. From the point of view of consumer properties, the material from which the carpet is made is of greatest importance:

1. Wool – it can be partially or completely natural (in this case it will be more expensive). It is highly durable, easily painted in different colors, and lasts a very long time, especially if it contains artificial components (for example, 20% nylon). The disadvantage is the rather high price.
2. Nylon is an artificial fiber based on polyamide. When finished, they are not painted, they are quite durable, but they get dirty easily. Moreover, such carpet options are affordable.
3. Polypropylene is another man-made polymer that costs even less. However, it is not durable - the fibers wear out quickly, after which the coating can only be thrown away. Easy to maintain - easy to clean from any dirt.
4. Polyester is also easy to wash, affordable, but wears out quickly.

Thus, it is best to choose natural carpeting, and it does not have to be 100% wool - 80% is enough. A staircase covered with natural carpet looks quite attractive in photos and in real life.

Wool is pleasant to the touch, thanks to which it creates a cozy atmosphere in the home

How to choose carpet for stairs

In terms of structure, material and production technology, carpet for stairs has no fundamental differences. However, this material differs in size and shape - you can choose the “carpet path” option or make special cuts to cover each step.

When choosing, you should pay attention to several important points:

1. Carpet material – wool and nylon are the most durable.
2. Number of people in the house - if the stairs are used too often, wool will not work as it gets dirty quickly.
3. Method of fastening (with rods, slats, glue) - this point needs to be thought out in advance. For example, a monolithic carpet runner is fixed with rods, and any fragments can be glued. For gluing, you will need a version of the rubber-based canvas.
4. Staircase material: for example, a canvas made of rubber mastic is suitable for concrete, since it retains heat best.
5. Design - colors, patterns and textures should fit well into the style of the room.

Glue method and use of mastic

Initially, you need to decide whether there will be a need to periodically remove the carpet from the stairs? If not, then the glue method is quite suitable. It’s not difficult to guess what its essence is.

The carpet is cut in a certain way and directly glued to the surface of the stairs. Note that gluing carpet has not only practical, but also aesthetic properties.

In other words, it is necessary to glue the carpet not only to the surface of the step, but also to the riser. Those. the staircase is completely “packed” into carpet. To ensure reliable fastening, you can use specialized mastics.

Although, professionals say that the use of rubber mastics is recommended exclusively in relation to concrete stairs. In this case, the steps will not be cold even in winter.

How to cover a staircase with carpet

To lay the covering on the stairs, three methods are used - fixed with rods, strips and glued.

The canvas can simply be laid in a row in a straight line and pressed down with rods. However, most often the material is cut into several fragments, each of which is fixed to the surface, and the excess is cut off with a metal guide or a knife. You can decorate the stairs with carpet yourself. To do this, you will need all the necessary materials, tools (knife, saw, glue, guides, slats, rods) and minimal work skills.

How to lay carpet on a wooden staircase

You can lay carpet on a wooden staircase in different ways, for example, using rods. The canvas is laid in the form of a carpet and secured with special rods that are inserted into the rings. The obvious advantage is the simplicity of the method: you can handle the installation even with minimal skills. However, such a coating will not look so beautiful in the interior.

Methods for laying carpet on stairs

You can also cover the stairs in the form of a path, which will cover only the central part of the flight of stairs. This is the easiest method, in which the carpet is secured to the steps using rods, each of which is fixed to special rings. This installation method makes it possible to move the carpet, thus avoiding the appearance of wear areas. It also makes it possible to remove it for cleaning.

Solid covering of the staircase with material will give it a more luxurious look. However, this method is more labor-intensive. To do this, you need to cut parts of the carpet individually for each step. The work can be simplified by making a template, which can be made from cardboard. The work should be done smoothly, connecting the carpet parts together. The parts can be connected to each other with glue or special strips.

Rules for caring for stairs with carpet

Carpet needs regular cleaning, just like rugs. You need to go over it with a vacuum cleaner 2-3 times a week, and when it gets dirty, do a general cleaning. For this purpose, 2 types of cleaning are used:

1. Dry – powders (dust absorbents) are used.
2. Wet - with special shampoos for carpets.

The products are used according to the attached instructions. Using a special shampoo involves applying the formed foam and distributing it with a brush. After drying, the carpet is vacuumed.

Pros and cons of finishing stairs with carpet

Finishing a staircase structure with carpet has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of this coating include:

• The elasticity and strength of the material, which protect the stairs from mechanical damage;
• Anti-slip texture;
• The coating can be cleaned using a conventional vacuum cleaner;
• Noise absorption. Even walking quickly and energetically on a staircase with carpet will create much less noise than walking on a structure without covering;
• Thermal insulation. This coating is especially relevant for concrete and stone stairs. Thanks to the carpet, you don’t feel cold from the material when walking up the steps;
• Easy to lay the material;
• High fire safety of the coating.

Also, most types of carpet are breathable coverings that do not impede air circulation. The material usually does not allow moisture to pass through it.

Example of a staircase with carpet

The disadvantages of carpeting on stairs include:

• Rapid contamination of the material;
• The fragility of the carpet with active use of the stairs;
• Difficulty removing stains from the surface of the product.

Coating prices may vary significantly depending on the composition of the material. Therefore, this factor can relate to both advantages and disadvantages. The cheapest are products made of polyester and acrylic. However, such a carpet will last about 5-6 years with active use. More wear-resistant and expensive are materials based on terklon, nylon and suprim. The most durable and resistant to color fading is nylon carpet.

Should I install underlayment under the carpet?

Today, there is an increasingly common opinion that it is not at all necessary to put a backing under the carpet: the coating is quite soft and independently hides the unevenness of the base. However, experts say the opposite: the underlay is an integral part of carpet installation, especially on stairs, where traffic is very high.

Here are the main arguments:

• -the backing protects against friction and increases the service life of the carpet by 2 times;
• — the substrate has shock-absorbing properties and takes on a significant part of the load;
• -the substrate increases sound and heat insulation.

The substrate is fixed with nails at sufficiently large intervals.

Varieties

Depending on the type of fabric, the products are:

Needle-stitched or loop carpet, woven from a large number of strands in the form of loops. They can be left as they are or cut. When cut, the surface of the carpet becomes fleecy and more rigid.

Needle-punched carpet

The needle-punched material has a canvas-like backing. When making this type of carpet, the base fabric is pierced with needles, with the help of which the canvas is sheathed with thread yarn. The product is lint-free and easy to clean. At the same time, the material is inexpensive and has high wear resistance.

Woven products are a covering with a sheathed canvas base in which strands are additionally woven. This type of carpet has increased wear resistance. Such overlays for carpet steps, laid on the stairs, do not tighten during cutting and installation.

How to properly cover a staircase with carpet with your own hands? (4 photos + 1 video)

By laying carpet on the stairs, you can not only protect the structure from rubbing. This coating allows you to decorate the room and make moving up the stairs safer and more enjoyable. However, to get all the benefits of the finish, the carpet must be selected, cut and laid correctly. Pros and cons of finishing stairs with carpet

Finishing a staircase structure with carpet has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of this coating include:

• The elasticity and strength of the material, which protect the stairs from mechanical damage;
• Anti-slip texture;
• The coating can be cleaned using a conventional vacuum cleaner;
• Noise absorption. Even walking quickly and energetically on a staircase with carpet will create much less noise than walking on a structure without covering;
• Thermal insulation. This coating is especially relevant for concrete and stone stairs. Thanks to the carpet, you don’t feel cold from the material when walking up the steps;
• Easy to lay the material;
• High fire safety of the coating.

Also, most types of carpet are breathable coverings that do not impede air circulation. The material usually does not allow moisture to pass through it.

Example of a staircase with carpet The disadvantages of carpeting on stairs include:

• Rapid contamination of the material;
• The fragility of the carpet with active use of the stairs;
• Difficulty removing stains from the surface of the product.

Coating prices may vary significantly depending on the composition of the material. Therefore, this factor can relate to both advantages and disadvantages. The cheapest are products made of polyester and acrylic. However, such a carpet will last about 5-6 years with active use. More wear-resistant and expensive are materials based on terklon, nylon and suprim. The most durable and resistant to color fading is nylon carpet. Varieties
According to the type of fabric, the products are:

• Needle-stitched;
• Needle-punched;
• Fabric.

Needle-stitched or loop carpet, woven from a large number of strands in the form of loops. They can be left as they are or cut. When cut, the surface of the carpet becomes fleecy and more rigid. Needle-punched carpet Needle-punched material has a backing in the form of a canvas. When making this type of carpet, the base fabric is pierced with needles, with the help of which the canvas is sheathed with thread yarn. The product is lint-free and easy to clean. At the same time, the material is inexpensive and has high wear resistance. Woven products are a covering with a sheathed canvas base in which strands are additionally woven. This type of carpet has increased wear resistance. Such overlays for carpet steps, laid on the stairs, do not tighten during cutting and installation. Selection criteria
In order for the material laid on the steps to serve for a long time, among the entire variety of products, you should choose a carpet marked “for stairs.” Such coatings have increased wear resistance. Also, when planning to decorate the stairs with this material, you should pay attention to the appearance of the product. The coating should fit harmoniously into the interior of the room, but not merge with the floor and walls. However, first of all, when selecting carpet, attention should be paid to the composition of the material. Despite the natural nature of wool fibers, materials containing them should be discarded. There are several reasons for this:

• Wool easily collects dirt and debris. Such a coating will get dirty often and quickly;
• Due to their structure, wool fibers are difficult to clean;
• Products quickly lose their aesthetic appearance and become worn;
• Wool is a strong allergen. And in combination with the debris that accumulates in it, the coating can significantly worsen the well-being of people prone to allergies.

When choosing carpet for the stairs, do not forget that the covering should fit harmoniously into the interior. Also, when choosing a covering, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Carpet with a long pile and a thick insulating base has little stretch. It will be difficult to lay it on the steps;
• The reverse side of the coating must be made of rubber or other material that is not subject to rapid ignition and burning;
• The underside of the material should not be smooth and slippery;
• The material should be easy to clean and dry quickly;
• The product must not create a static charge during use.

The most convenient and practical are coatings with polyamide and polypropylene fibers. How to cover a staircase with carpet
Laying carpet on a staircase is not a complicated process. However, the quality and durability of the result directly depends on the correctness of its implementation. All work consists of several successive stages:

1. Carrying out calculations of the required amount of material and its cutting.
2. Carrying out staircase cladding using prepared material and tools.

Immediately before starting work, you need to prepare the structure itself for finishing, as well as collect all the necessary tools. Calculation and cutting
Only correctly completed staircase finishing allows you to decorate the structure and the entire room. Therefore, it is very important to make accurate measurements of the material and its cutting. The principle of measuring the required square footage of the material is carried out depending on the type of staircase:

• For marching structures, the length of all risers and treads is measured. The resulting numbers are summed up, and another 10% margin is added to the result. The width of the covering should correspond to the width of the steps + 4-6 cm of margin;
• The length of the steps of the spiral staircase is measured on the outside of the structure. In this case, the required width of the coating is determined by the size of the largest step;
• To finish open staircases, measurements of the width and length of the treads are carried out separately for each step. In this case, it is necessary to add 4-5 cm of reserve to the results obtained for each stage. Such a reserve is needed to be able to carefully tuck the material during installation.

For any type of structure, measurements are taken from the top step to the riser of the bottom step. Cutting the material for covering the steps on an open staircase is carried out before installation. In this case, separate pieces are cut out of solid material for each tread, taking into account the mandatory margin for hems. For closed stairs, excess material is cut off during installation. In this case, it is necessary to cut the material from the middle. In this case, the seam will be more even. Materials and tools
In addition to the carpet itself, the main tools and materials needed for work include:

• Studded slats;
• Nails;
• Felt backing;
• Knife for cutting coating;
• Folding ruler;
• Bit;
• Mallet;
• Staple hammer.

To finish a staircase with carpet, don’t forget a knife. When decorating a concrete staircase with carpet with your own hands, you may need an impact drill and dowel-nails. Preparing the material and stairs
Before installing the carpet on the stairs, the structure and the material to be laid must be prepared:

1. A day before the start of finishing work, the carpet must be brought into the room and laid out. This is necessary for the material to take its natural shape.
2. The temperature in the workroom should not be less than 150C. Otherwise, the fabric may show little flexibility, and after installation under normal temperature conditions the material will straighten out and become covered with folds.
3. If there are any unevenness on the stairs, they must be leveled using putty a few days before starting work.
4. The staircase structure is thoroughly cleaned the day before work and treated with a suitable primer.

Immediately before installation, the stairs must be re-cleaned of dust and debris. Sheathing
Sheathing a structure with carpet can be done in several ways:

1. On the fixing strips. In the corners between the tread and the riser, thin strips with many small nails are mounted. The distance of each plank from the corner should be about 1.2 cm. The points of the nails must be directed towards the corners of the steps. The felt backing is cut to the size of the steps. It fits on the slats. And on top of it, pieces of carpet are mounted. During the covering process, the felt and the carpet itself are placed on the nails of the fixing strips. The fabric is pressed in the corners with a chisel, and if necessary, additionally tapped with a mallet. On the sides the product is tightly fixed with nails or a construction stapler.
2. Using rods. In this way, carpet is attached mainly to the steps of straight flights of stairs with non-recessed risers. At the same time, the coating is easy to remove and clean. The material is laid out from top to bottom along the entire staircase, always bending according to the geometry of the steps. At the transition points between the riser and the tread, special rods are installed that lightly press the material, holding it in the designated place. With this type of installation, the width of the carpet should be less than the width of the steps.
3. Placement of material on glue. To do this, the material is cut in the form of segments for each step. A special adhesive mixture is applied to each step separately, and only after installing the material on the previous surface. The glue is applied to the tread and riser along the entire width and length using a brush or spatula. Afterwards you need to wait about 5-10 minutes and lay a piece of carpet on the adhesive mixture. The material must be smoothed, preventing the formation of air bubbles underneath it. Additionally, each segment can be secured at the edges with nails. The advantage of this installation method is the possibility of partially replacing the coating in the future.

On wooden stairs, the carpet is fixed at the edges of the steps in a stretched manner using a construction stapler.
Fixation is done every 4-5 cm. When laying material with a pattern, it is important to ensure that all its elements are symmetrical. When finishing with a single-color carpet, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the pile of each piece being laid. After completing the installation of the coating, it is advisable not to use the stairs for 1-1.5 days. Material taken: Here

Criterias of choice

In order for the material laid on the steps to serve for a long time, among all the variety of products you should choose carpet that is marked “for stairs.” Such coatings have increased wear resistance. Also, when planning to decorate the stairs with this material, you should pay attention to the appearance of the product. The coating should fit harmoniously into the interior of the room, but not merge with the floor and walls.

However, first of all, when selecting carpet, attention should be paid to the composition of the material. Despite the natural nature of wool fibers, materials containing them should be discarded. There are several reasons for this:

• Wool easily collects dirt and debris. Such a coating will get dirty often and quickly;
• Due to their structure, wool fibers are difficult to clean;
• Products quickly lose their aesthetic appearance and become worn;
• Wool is a strong allergen. And in combination with the debris that accumulates in it, the coating can significantly worsen the well-being of people prone to allergies.

When choosing carpet for the stairs, do not forget that the covering should fit harmoniously into the interior

Features and types of carpet

Using coatings of different colors in staircase design

Natural and artificial fibers are used to make the material. The most practical option is a combined carpet. Synthetic fibers give the material strength, the ability to repel water and increase service life.

Natural fibers provide excellent thermal insulation and a pleasant touch feeling. To make carpet on a natural basis, 30% wool is used in the fiber composition.

In the table you can see the types of fabrics and their features:

Despite the large selection of materials for carpet, all types have common advantages and disadvantages that can be combined in one table:

Choosing carpet for stairs

Before laying carpet on the stairs, you need to choose the right material. It is suitable for models made of varnished wood, stone (read more here), metal and other materials.

When choosing, you should consider:

• Due to the fact that the steps are subject to additional wear, it is recommended to choose reinforced carpet for the stairs, which has an additional pictogram;
• If there are wool fibers, it is better to discard the material. It gets dirty quickly, and the coating with such fibers is very difficult to clean;
• Steps should not be covered with long-pile carpet or thick lining fabric. On the steps, the material does not stretch well and it will be quite difficult to lay it properly;
• The underside of the coating should not be easily flammable and slip, which corresponds to a rubber coating;
• The covering of the steps should be easy to clean and dry quickly enough. Polyamide and polypropylene fibers correspond to these characteristics; the latter, in addition, give the material antistatic properties;
• Covering steps with rubber mastic is used when finishing concrete stairs. This will give the interior a more lived-in look, and the cold concrete will make it warmer. In this case, individual parts of the coating must be securely fixed to the concrete surface so that they do not slide off when moving.

How to cover a staircase with carpet

Laying carpet on stairs is not a complicated process. However, the quality and durability of the result directly depends on the correctness of its implementation. All work consists of several successive stages:

1. Carrying out calculations of the required amount of material and its cutting.
2. Carrying out staircase cladding using prepared material and tools.

Immediately before starting work, you need to prepare the structure itself for finishing, as well as collect all the necessary tools.

Calculation and cutting

Only properly finished staircases can decorate the structure and the entire room. Therefore, it is very important to make accurate measurements of the material and its cutting.

The principle of measuring the required square footage of the material is carried out depending on the type of staircase:

• For marching structures, the length of all risers and treads is measured. The resulting numbers are summed up, and another 10% margin is added to the result. The width of the covering should correspond to the width of the steps + 4-6 cm of margin;
• The length of the steps of the spiral staircase is measured on the outside of the structure. In this case, the required width of the coating is determined by the size of the largest step;
• To finish open staircases, measurements of the width and length of the treads are carried out separately for each step. In this case, it is necessary to add 4-5 cm of reserve to the results obtained for each stage. Such a reserve is needed to be able to carefully tuck the material during installation.

For any type of structure, measurements are taken from the top step to the riser of the bottom step.

Materials and tools

In addition to the carpet itself, the main tools and materials needed for the job include:

• Studded slats;
• Nails;
• Felt backing;
• Knife for cutting coating;
• Folding ruler;
• Bit;
• Mallet;
• Staple hammer.

To trim the stairs with carpet, don’t forget a knife

When finishing a concrete staircase with carpet yourself, you may need an impact drill and dowel nails.

Preparation of material and stairs

Before installing the carpet on the stairs, the structure and the material to be laid must be prepared:

1. A day before the start of finishing work, the carpet must be brought into the room and laid out. This is necessary for the material to take its natural shape.
2. The temperature in the working room should not be less than 15 0 C. Otherwise, the fabric may show poor flexibility, and after installation under normal temperature conditions the material will straighten and become covered with folds.
3. If there are any unevenness on the stairs, they must be leveled using putty a few days before starting work.
4. The staircase structure is thoroughly cleaned the day before work and treated with a suitable primer.

Immediately before installation, the stairs must be re-cleaned of dust and debris.

Sheathing

Covering a structure with carpet can be done in several ways:

1. On the fixing strips. In the corners between the tread and the riser, thin strips with many small nails are mounted. The distance of each plank from the corner should be about 1.2 cm. The points of the nails must be directed towards the corners of the steps. The felt backing is cut to the size of the steps. It fits on the slats. And on top of it, pieces of carpet are mounted. During the covering process, the felt and the carpet itself are placed on the nails of the fixing strips. The fabric is pressed in the corners with a chisel, and if necessary, additionally tapped with a mallet. On the sides the product is tightly fixed with nails or a construction stapler.
2. Using rods. In this way, carpet is attached mainly to the steps of straight flights of stairs with non-recessed risers. At the same time, the coating is easy to remove and clean. The material is laid out from top to bottom along the entire staircase, always bending according to the geometry of the steps. At the transition points between the riser and the tread, special rods are installed that lightly press the material, holding it in the designated place. With this type of installation, the width of the carpet should be less than the width of the steps.
3. Placement of material on glue. To do this, the material is cut in the form of segments for each step. A special adhesive mixture is applied to each step separately, and only after installing the material on the previous surface. The glue is applied to the tread and riser along the entire width and length using a brush or spatula. Afterwards you need to wait about 5-10 minutes and lay a piece of carpet on the adhesive mixture. The material must be smoothed, preventing the formation of air bubbles underneath it. Additionally, each segment can be secured at the edges with nails. The advantage of this installation method is the possibility of partially replacing the coating in the future.

On wooden stairs, the carpet is fixed at the edges of the steps in a stretched manner using a construction stapler. Fixation is done every 4-5 cm. When laying material with a pattern, it is important to ensure that all its elements are symmetrical. When finishing with a single-color carpet, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the pile of each piece being laid.

After completing the installation of the coating, it is advisable not to use the stairs for 1-1.5 days.

The staircase in the interior usually occupies a central place. Therefore, its finishing should be treated with special attention. Among all the proposed options, one of the most aesthetically interesting is the use of carpet. In addition, this method will be quite inexpensive and does not require special installation skills. You can cope with it without the help of specialists. Before starting work, you should familiarize yourself with the tips and tricks for finishing stairs with carpet with your own hands.

Finishing the stairs with carpet and carpet overlays. How to choose, cut and secure the material?

In a house where there is a staircase, the question is always how to maintain its attractive appearance and functionality for as long as possible? Carpet can help you with this - with its help, even an old staircase can very quickly be given a decent appearance. If installed correctly, this inexpensive flooring will not only decorate your home, but will also make walking up the steps as comfortable, silent and safe as possible.

articles

• Which carpet is suitable for stairs?
• How to calculate the required amount of carpet?
• Preparatory work Recommendations for preparatory work

Which carpet is suitable for stairs?

When selecting carpet for stairs, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• The material located on the steps is subject to increased wear, so the choice of carpet for the stairs is made from reinforced materials, marked with a special pictogram.
• It is better not to use material that contains wool fibers. Since the covering of stairs usually gets dirty quickly, if there is wool, it will be difficult to clean.
• You should not use carpet with thick lining fabric or long pile for covering stairs, as it will not fit the steps well and will not provide a good installation.
• The back side of the carpet should not be flammable or slippery; rubber coating meets these requirements.

• A carpeted staircase should be easy to clean and dry quickly, for this reason it is better to use materials made from polyamide and polypropylene fibers, the latter also have antistatic properties.
• Covering stairs with carpet with rubber mastic is done when decorating concrete stairs. It not only gives the interior a more lived-in look, but also makes cold concrete warmer. In this case, individual fragments of the coating must be securely fixed to the concrete surface so that they do not slide off when walking.

Initially, you need to make the correct calculation of how much carpet will be needed to finish a particular staircase.

1. It’s easier to start measuring from the top platform, summing up the sizes of all risers and treads and adding 4 cm to each step.
2. When deciding how to cut out carpet for a turning staircase, you need to measure its outer edge, and the widest step located at the turning will determine the width of the floor covering.
3. If the structure is open on one side, then before cutting the carpet to fit the stair step, you need to add an extra 4 cm, since the material will have to be rolled up.
4. When calculating the amount of carpet, you need to take into account that they will have to cover the top platform up to the first riser.

When covering spiral staircases, it is important to consider the following points:

• Carpet finishing here is carried out in fragments, cut for each individual step. In this case, cutting must be done individually for each step, since the sizes of the steps usually do not match.
• The material must be cut into pieces whose dimensions are slightly larger than the total size of the riser and tread. Fastening the carpet is carried out in the same way as in the case of a straight staircase.

Since the covering elements for each step are cut out individually, it is much easier to do this using templates. The template is cut out of thick paper along the fold lines; it helps make cutting more accurate and reduces the effort when fitting.

Experts recommend not covering not only spiral staircases, but also ordinary staircases with a solid canvas, but one made up of elements.

This solution turns out to be more economical during operation - it becomes possible to replace individual worn or damaged elements, rather than the entire coating.

During repairs, the damaged element is removed from the studs, and a new one is installed on them. As a result, without much expense or effort, you can gradually replace at least the entire coating.

Preparatory work

Before finishing the staircase with carpet, you need to put it in order, check the stability and evenness of the steps. If the staircase is wooden, then this is the right moment to eliminate the creaking that appears when moving up the steps. And the technology of finishing a spiral concrete staircase with carpet requires the preliminary elimination of existing protrusions or chips.

• The smallest irregularities on the steps do not need to be eliminated at all, since under a two-layer coating they will be completely invisible. If the edges of the treads are heavily worn, then it is necessary to restore their flatness.
• Damaged edges of stone or concrete steps are leveled with cement mortar, and after it dries, they are strengthened with metal corners.
• The worn edges of heavily worn wooden steps are corrected with a plane, after which they are built up with wooden planks screwed with countersunk screws. While doing this work, it is necessary to maintain the depth of the step (primarily on turns) so that the usual rhythm of steps is not disturbed when descending or ascending.
• Creaking and loose steps should be strengthened by wedges from below or by screwing the tread to the riser.

Recommendations for preparatory work

• A day before starting work, lay out the carpet and allow it to straighten.
• You can only work in a warm room (not lower than 15 degrees).
• The stairs need to be vacuumed in advance, and the concrete stairs can be covered with fresh paint.

Using rods

Finishing the steps with carpet can be designed in the form of a path without deepening the risers, making an indentation from both edges of the stairs.

This is the simplest do-it-yourself carpet finishing of a staircase, in which a straight flight of stairs is covered with a single canvas, which is secured at the corners of the steps with specially provided rods.

These rods are inserted into special rings and are a classic way to secure carpet on stairs.

It is known that the coating wears out most quickly at the edges of the treads. Attaching the carpet to the steps in this way allows you to periodically move the covering, allowing it to wear more evenly. It is just as easy to remove for cleaning.

Although it is more difficult to install solid overlays, they look much nicer. True, this solution is more suitable for the steps of wide main staircases, but in the home version they are less popular.

on how to attach carpet to stairs using rods:

Using fixing strips

Before finishing the stairs with carpet, you need to prepare studded slats from durable plywood, onto which the carpet will then cling like hooks. Spikes are formed from two rows of nails with their points protruding outwards. You will need slats of different lengths; they can be easily cut if necessary. Even sawn-off pieces can form a suitable strip.

The material must be laid very tightly on the steps, the strength of its connection with the spikes depends on this. If the carpet is not stretched enough, tails may appear along the edges.

The slats on a wooden staircase are nailed with ordinary nails, while on a concrete staircase they are nailed with steel nails.

They can be glued to a strong, level base, but if it is uneven and requires cleaning, then it is easier to nail them.

1. Tenon strips are nailed to the sides of the step, along the underside of the riser, and along the rear edge of the tread. To obtain a more reliable fastening, slatted corners with vertical and horizontal spikes are attached at the junction of the riser and the tread.

1. Having nailed all the slats, before sheathing the stairs with carpet, you need to lay a felt backing along its entire length, starting from the top, and sequentially cut it into separate pieces as it is secured. Each piece will cover one tread and riser. It is secured with staples.

A felt backing is needed to level the base. It also hides the spiked slats and creates additional comfort because it makes the carpet much softer. The length of the cut mats should be equal to the distance from one slat to the other. You can also secure felt mats with tape, which can hold the felt under the carpet quite firmly.

1. The studded slats should securely hold the carpet tightly fitting the steps.

1. The carpet is pulled into the gap between the slats using a chisel. Then tap with a chisel in the places where the slats are located so that all the nails securely grip the underside of the carpet and the covering does not slip out from under your feet.

To better stretch the carpet, it is necessary to drive its edge into the gap between the slats, for which a sharp carpet knife is used. If the blade is dull, it will not be able to cut the material, but will only tear it, causing it to jump out of the clamp.

1. To ensure that covering the stairs with carpet does not lead to the formation of bubbles or wrinkles, wedge-shaped cutouts are made on it in the folded edge, and the cutouts must be the same size and spaced evenly. For steps that are open on the sides, the material is cut with an allowance, which is then tucked in so that the ends of the covering look neat.
2. In the place where the coating comes into contact with the wall, all excess material is cut off with a knife exactly along the fracture line.
3. Then the edge is pressed against the base with a chisel so that the coating looks neater and does not wrinkle. The edge near the wall is cut with a knife, and the pile is pressed downwards.
4. The end of the carpet is clamped with a V-shaped rail, which is screwed to the floor, and the edge of the carpet is tensioned with double-row spikes, which are later covered with a metal strip.

When answering the question of how to fix carpet on a concrete staircase, they usually point to the use of glue.

The surface must be cleaned and primed. Each step here is also glued separately, since it is absolutely impossible to put the entire canvas on the march on fresh glue. Work also starts from the top step and includes the following steps:

1. Dilute the adhesive with solvent, mix thoroughly and apply to the concrete with a spatula.
2. A strip of material prepared in advance is placed on the glue, pressed and ironed with a spatula with a rubber tip.
3. Do the same with the riser.
4. After the material has set to the concrete surface, cut off its excess strictly along the metal guide.

This method is much longer during installation, but during repairs or cleaning during operation it will be easy to remove any of the fragments of the coating. The glue can be replaced with double-sided cloth tape; this will not force you to breathe in solvent once again.

Carpet overlays on steps

It is not at all necessary to completely cover a beautiful staircase with carpet - it is quite enough to install carpet overlays on the steps of the stairs. They have many advantages:

• Putting such overlays on the steps is much easier than painstakingly and time-consuming finishing of the stairs with carpet.
• They look very aesthetically pleasing.
• You can even use multi-colored rugs. Their edges are hemmed, which makes them somewhat thicker and gives them additional decorativeness.
• Protects steps from excessive wear, especially noticeable at the front ends of the treads.

In most cases, owners buy ready-made carpet overlays for staircase steps - they produce them in a wide variety of colors and patterns. At the same time, they are given a special shape. Such products are secured with a special fastening so that movement on the stairs with such rugs remains completely safe.

Thanks to the special fastening design, dirty carpet pads can be easily removed, washed, and then put back in place.

If, after renovation, the color of the carpet pads no longer matches the interior of the room or the owners are simply tired of it, then they can order new products of a different color and size.

After this, the old staircase will look completely new, as if it had undergone a serious reconstruction.

about laying carpet pads on stairs

You can make carpet overlays for stairs with your own hands. To do this, you need to carefully measure each step and make templates for the overlays. Then cut out the blanks according to the template and trim their edges. They can be attached with double-sided tape.

Source: https://krutopol.com/otdelka-lestnicy-kovrolinom-i-kovrovymi-nakladkami.html

Material selection

Carpet for stairs

The carpet has good elasticity, which allows it to be laid on a span of any shape . But there are certain subtleties when working with it. On the modern building materials market, there is a special carpet used for stairs. It differs in technical characteristics - the presence of a special pile that is difficult to erase with constant use, and a more durable base. If it is necessary to lay carpet without sizing, use a material that has a rubber base. For finishing concrete stairs, carpet based on rubber mastic is best suited . It will help correct the lack of cold steps, making them warm.

Advantages of carpet for finishing stairs:

• Soundproofing. Due to its fleecy structure, this coating will absorb sound.
• Thermal insulation. This criterion is especially important for concrete stairs, where the steps can be quite cold.
• Easy to install. No special construction skills are required to carry out the work.
• Anti-slip coating. The operation of the ladder will be safer.
• Aesthetic appeal. Possibility to decorate the room depending on the chosen style.
• Protection of steps from mechanical damage. The right material will not only protect the staircase structure, but will also retain its appearance for a long time.
• It can be laid on any surface - wood, tile, laminate or parquet, and even concrete.

Choosing carpet for stairs

Quite often, smooth steps - made of stone or varnished wood - become the cause of falls and injuries. This is especially true for young children. Also, ceramic tiles, metal and stone have low sound insulation rates. To prevent falls and to give the staircase a look that matches the new interior, it is recommended to cover the steps with carpet.

When choosing a material, you should pay attention not only to its appearance, but also to some features.

1. On the steps, carpeting is subject to the greatest wear and tear, so the material for the stairs must be additionally reinforced. Such fabrics are marked with the corresponding pictogram.
2. Materials containing wool fibers are also not suitable for finishing stairs: fabrics quickly become dirty and are difficult to clean.
3. It is also better to avoid products based on acrylic fibers - they are not strong enough.
4. You should not choose a covering with a thick backing or very long pile - it is difficult to stretch it properly on steps.
5. The material on the underside of the carpet should be non-slip and flame-retardant. Most of all, rubber meets these requirements.
6. Carpeting should be easy to clean and dry quickly. The best option for stairs are carpets based on polyamide and polypropylene fibers. The latter have antistatic properties. The photo shows a sample made of polypropylene.

Laying carpet on stair steps

Before you begin laying it yourself, you must thoroughly clean the stairs and fill any damage with putty. If the edges of the steps are very worn, the edge should be smoothed using a leveling strip.

The amount of carpet required for finishing is calculated as the sum of the areas of the horizontal sections of all steps and the areas of all risers, as well as the tolerance for errors.

The fabric is cut sequentially for each step and riser. To minimize errors, you should first measure each step again, and also make a pattern from thick paper. The fragments should be cut out in the same way, observing the direction of the pile and the pattern.

Carpet finishing is done from bottom to top. You can attach the material to the steps in different ways.

• Adhesive - a layer of glue is applied to the surface of the steps and left for 5-10 minutes until the top layer hardens slightly. Then the workpiece is placed on the step, carefully smoothed and pressed. This method takes more time, but in case of cleaning or repair, removing a piece of material is not difficult. Instead of glue, you can use double-sided fabric tape. The photo shows the installation of carpet with glue.
• Stretching method - a carpet holder is first laid along each step. A covering blank is placed on the step and pulled from the center using a knee kicker. The edges of the workpiece are fixed into the frame of the carpet holder, and the excess is cut off. The fabric tension should be very tight. The carpet is then attached to the edge of the risers with a stapler at 5 cm intervals.

Any of the finishing methods is easy to do with your own hands. The second method is demonstrated in more detail in the video.

Carpet calculation

Proper carpet measurement will help not only to eliminate overspending, but also a shortage of material . Calculation principles:

1. Start measuring from the top step. Each tread and riser should be measured, adding 4 centimeters to them, and the resulting figures should be summed up.
2. When calculating the material for a spiral-type staircase, measure along the outer edge. And as the width parameter, select the size of the widest step.
3. If the structure is open, then add another 4 centimeters to the width in order to be able to tuck it.
4. The calculation is carried out from the top platform to the riser of the first stage.

Calculation and cutting of carpet

Before finishing the stairs with carpet, it is necessary to calculate the amount of material that will be required as a covering. To do this, measure the length of all treads and the height of the risers, adding about 4 cm to each step. Then the resulting values ​​are summed up. The width of the canvas should correspond to the same parameter of the widest step. If, due to the design features, the staircase is open on one side, then add another 4 cm of covering to the hem. Measurement of screw structures is carried out along the outer edge.

If the staircase has a complex configuration, then to calculate the material, the largest step is measured, and the result obtained is multiplied by their number. Before finishing, the carpet should be laid out on a flat surface to straighten in natural conditions and eliminate creases. The covering is cut in such a way that the fibers are parallel to the leading edge of the steps.

Surface preparation

• If the steps have slight unevenness, then they can be left. They will become invisible under the coating. But you shouldn’t ignore the uneven edges. Before starting work, this deficiency must be corrected.
• For wooden stairs, you can use a plane to level the edges, after which they are extended using wooden planks. They are secured using screws with countersunk heads. In this case, you need to ensure that the depth of the steps is maintained.
• If the steps are loose, you can nail wedges from below or screw treads to the risers. This will strengthen them.
• To increase the reliability of fastening, you can install carbon slats with horizontal and vertical rows of spikes in the corners of the treads and risers.
• On the sides of the steps along the back and bottom edge of the riser, it is necessary to nail slats with spikes. You can use glue to attach the slats if the base is level. Nails are used for wooden stairs.

How to calculate carpet consumption

To ensure that the purchased material is enough for the entire staircase, it is necessary to carry out preliminary measurements of the steps. The calculation begins from the top platform. To determine the total area, it is necessary to add up the dimensions of all horizontal and vertical surfaces (treads and risers), adding at least 4 cm to each step. If the staircase has an open structure without risers, an increase of at least 4 cm should be given around the perimeter of each step for a neat turn-up. To the result obtained, it is necessary to add the dimensions of the upper platform up to the first riser, and additionally add 10% of the margin.

After purchasing the required amount of material, it needs to be cut - laying carpet involves using not a whole cloth, but separate fragments for each step. This solution will allow each step to be covered more accurately, and will also make it possible to easily replace the worn-out covering in the future without dismantling the entire carpet.

Features of preparation for concrete stairs

For covering concrete stairs with carpet, the same rules are used as for wooden ones, but there are some features:

• For concrete stairs, steel corners are used to fasten slats with spikes, or glue if the surface is flat.
• If the edges of concrete stairs are damaged, they are leveled using cement mortar. After it dries, the edges are secured with metal corners.

The use of slats with spikes will make it possible to more firmly and reliably stretch the carpet on the steps, so that during operation the coating will not be subject to the formation of bubbles, which can be dangerous when walking on the stairs.

Materials and tools

To cover a staircase with carpet, you will need a knife for cutting and cutting the covering, a hammer and backing material. The following is also required:

• saw;
• slats with spikes;
• chisel and mallet;
• nails or a construction stapler with staples;
• glue for the adhesive method of fastening the canvas.

Before starting work, you should prepare the surface of the stairs and level its topography. Minor damage to wooden structures is filled with a special compound and the restored areas are sanded after it has dried. The concrete staircase is cleaned of sand and dust, and then treated with a penetrating primer. If there are large deformations, the damaged edges are leveled using cement mortar and secured with metal corners.

Finishing work

Work begins by nailing the slats with spikes. Then lay out a felt backing. It should be cut only after the step elements have been secured. The work is carried out starting from the top of the stairs. The underlay is secured with staples in stages on each riser and tread.

• Laying felt backing. This will make the base more even, the coating softer, and will also hide the already installed slats. It is secured not only with staples; you can also use adhesive tape for these purposes. It will ensure reliable fastening of the felt under the carpet.

• It is necessary to securely fasten the carpet that goes around the steps. This will be ensured by the use of slats with spikes.
• To pull the carpet into the gaps formed between the slats, use a chisel. To ensure strong fastening of the nails to the back side of the covering, at the end of the work, knock with a chisel from top to bottom in those places where the slats pass.
• You need to stretch the carpet by pushing the edges into the gaps between the slats. This work is carried out using a special carpet knife with a sharp blade so as not to damage the material.
• Wedge-shaped cuts made in the folded edge will prevent the formation of bubbles. They should be the same size and evenly distributed.
• The carpet on the side of the wall should be adjusted to the corner line. This is done with a sharp knife. The pile should be pressed downwards. After this, you need to press the edge to the base. This work is carried out with a chisel.
• At the end of the work, the edge of the carpet is clamped using a special flight having a V-shaped profile. It is screwed to the floor and the end of the covering is tensioned using special spikes. They are placed in two rows, covered with a metal strip afterwards to make the work look neat.

Laying process on steps

There are a number of features for spiral staircases:

• Unlike conventional stairs, carpet cutting must be done in advance for each step. This is done because, as a rule, the inner and outer edges of the steps have different widths.
• Pieces of carpet are cut to a size slightly larger than the sum of the length of the tread and riser. And they fix it in the same way as a staircase with a straight flight.

Laying the coating on concrete can also be done using a special adhesive for working with carpet . Before starting work, it is worth preparing the surface by clearing it of debris and priming it. It is necessary to paste over the steps one by one, starting from the top step.

• First, add a thinner to the glue, mix it and, using a spatula, apply it to the concrete over all surfaces of the step.
• Next, a strip of carpet is laid, which must be prepared in advance.
• We press and iron using a special spatula with a rubber tip.
• The work is carried out first on a horizontal, then on a vertical plane.
• After the material has set with the concrete, we cut off the excess part of the coating using a metal guide.

This type of installation is quite a long process. But if necessary, you can replace individual elements of the coating without removing the entire canvas.

Removable cover finish

The finishing can also be done in such a way that the coating remains removable . True, this option is only suitable for straight stairs.

Fastening is carried out in the same way as described above - first, measurements are taken, then the carpet is laid, starting from the top. But the fastening is done in the corners of the steps using special rods.

This method will provide the ability to remove the coating for cleaning or ventilation in the fresh air. True, most often this option is used when working with wide-span parade marches.