How to Install a Stair Runner Using the Bars

Lay the end of the stair runner on a flat work surface. Position a yardstick along the edge of the carpet runner. Use the ruler as a guide to cut the end of the runner with a utility knife, so you are left with a straight edge.

Begin at the top step or landing. Position the straight edge of the runner at the top of the riser, centering it on the width of the stairs -- just under the point where it joins with the rounded, beveled edge of the landing. Do not extend the runner onto the landing; the small edge can become a safety hazard if it somehow becomes loose.

Staple the edge of the stair runner directly to the riser, applying staples about every inch across the width of the carpet.

Smooth the stair runner down the riser, to the point where the riser meets the back of the stair below. Install staples at the juncture of the riser and stair, approximately 1 inch apart.

Position a stair rod, or bar, in the crease between the back of the stair and the riser. Fit the ends into the supporting brackets. Hold the entire thing in place, and mark the location of the screws that will hold the supporting brackets onto the stairs.

Drill holes for the brackets with a drill bit slightly smaller in diameter than the screws, following the stair rod manufacturer's specs. Remove the rod from the brackets and install them so they are snug against the riser.

Insert the stair rod into the brackets. Attach the finials to the ends of the stair rod, if they are not already attached. The finials will keep the rod from working its way out of the brackets.

Smooth the carpeting across the step, around the bullnose beveled edge of the stair and down the riser of the next stair. Secure the carpet with staples at the top of the riser, where it meets the bullnose of the stair above, and at the point where the riser meets the stair below.

Repeat Steps 5 to 8 on each step, until you reach the bottom of the stairs.