How to Keep Plastic Stair Runners

Carpeted stairs exposed to a lot of traffic will show wear more quickly than you expect. You can protect the carpeting with plastic or vinyl stair runners. While these plastic runners generally have little grooves that stick into the carpet to keep them in place, as you walk up and down the steps, the plastic runner can still move slightly. When you install the vinyl, use adhesive fasteners and carpet tacks to keep plastic stair runners in place on the stairs.

Measuring tape
Hook-and-loop fastener strips
Scissors
Carpet tacks
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the rise and width of the tread of a step on the staircase. Add the measurements together and multiply the answer by the number of stairs to determine the length of the plastic stair runner you'll need.
- 2
  Cut enough 12-inch-long hook-and-loop fastener strips for the number of stairs. These strips generally come packaged in rolls.
- 3
  Peel off the backing on the hook fastener strips and press them down on the treads on existing carpet. Place the edge of the fastener strips against the rise. Press one strip on the rise on the bottom step.
- 4
  Take the backing off one of the loop fastener strips and place it on the back and bottom edge of the plastic runner. Press this fastener strip to the hook fastener strip on the rise on the bottom step.
- 5
  Press the plastic runner securely against the rise and stretch it up and over the tread on the next stair. Hold the plastic back before you reach the rise and secure another loop fastener strip to the back of the plastic runner. Press this fastener firmly to the hook fastener already secured to the step.
- 6
  Secure the plastic on each stair in the same fashion until you reach the second to top stair. Cut the runner to stop on the tread on the second step.
- 7
  Nail carpet tacks into the corners of the plastic runner at the crevices between the treads and rises on each step.
- 8
  Wipe the runners with damp cloth often to keep plastic stair runners looking like new. Use soap and water for ground-in dirt.

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