How to Lay Patterned Carpet on Stairs

Measure the total length and width of your staircase with a tape measure. Add 6 inches in length and 1 inch in width to these measurements to ensure you have the right amount of carpeting for the installation area. This is how much carpet you need.

Remove any old carpet or padding from the stairs. Wash the stairs with a sponge soaked in warm water and liquid dish soap to remove any remaining adhesive or dirt. Dry the area thoroughly with a towel.

Place tack-less strips at the bottom of each stair riser and on the back of each tread. The teeth on the riser strips need to face down while the tread strips have teeth that should face away from you. The strips attach the carpet to each stair to hold it in place.

Lay padding between the two tack-less strips so it goes over the tread and down the riser of each stair, effectively connecting the two strips to each other. There should be about 1/2-inch of space on each side of the pad so the carpet can fold under later.

Staple the padding to the subfloor along all of the edges. Staple the material diagonally for best results to hold the padding in place rather than stapling it straight across.

Remeasure the width of the carpeting and make a chalk line about 1/2-inch in from the edge. This is where the carpet will be folded over at installation. Verify that the carpet will indeed fit the stairs before continuing.

Score the back of the patterned carpet with a utility knife along each chalk line and fold it inward so it is more pliable.

Slide the bottom edge of the carpeting under the tack-less strip for the bottom riser, leaving about an inch of extra carpet at the end so you can tuck it in later. Staple the carpet under the stair nosing so it attaches to the top of the riser. Press down on the carpet with a knee kicker to ensure it is tight against the stair and that it doesn't bunch up.

Fold the carpet over the nosing of the stair and the tread. Wedge the carpet in against the tack-less strips and continue going up the stairs in this manner until you reach the top. Use the knee kicker on each stair to verify that the carpet is tight and not sagging.

Trim off any excess carpeting at the top and bottom when you're finished and staple the edges of the carpeting to the riser on the top and bottom of the staircase.