How to Install Runners on a Spiral Staircase

Cut a piece of scribing felt that is big enough to cover the tread of a step and the riser beneath it. The tread is the flat surface on top of a step and the riser is the flat surface in front of it.

Cover the tread of one step with the felt and let the lower edge fall over its riser. Secure the edges of the fabric to the step with strips of masking tape.

Draw lines on either side of the felt to mark the location of the side edges of the runner on the step. The side edges of the runner will be 1 to 3 inches away from the edge of the step so that the sides of the step are visible. The distance depends on the width of the runner.

Trace along the back and front edges of the tread on the scribing felt. Remove the strips of tape. Cut along the lines on the felt to obtain a template for the step.

Repeat Steps 1 to 4 for treads that are bigger or smaller than the tread you traced.

Place the felt template face down on a piece of cardboard. Cut around the edges to create a cardboard template. Write “Top” on the front surface of the new template to mark the side that will be face up on the tread.

Lay the runner on a flat surface with the wrong side up. Place the template on the back of the runner with the front side down. Align the template so that it is centered on the pattern on the runner that you wish to display. Cut around the template to obtain a piece of the runner for each step.

Apply carpet glue to the back of the runner, along the cut edges. Let the glue dry completely.

Lay the carpet padding flat. Place the template, face down, on padding and cut around the edges.

Cut tackless strips for each step that are at least 1 inch shorter than the width of the runner. Place each strip 1 inch away from the back of the riser and nail it in place. Space the nails 3 inches apart.

Lay a piece of carpet padding on each tread, according to the layout for the runner. Align the back edge of each piece with the front edge of each tackless strip. Secure the edge of the padding to the tread with staples. Place the staples 3 inches apart.

Place the pieces of carpet on top of the padding on each tread. Tuck the bottom edge of each piece into the corner between the bottom of the riser and the lower tread. Perform this process with a carpet tool.

Tuck the back edge of the runner into the corner between the tread and the bottom of the riser for the next step. Secure the edges of the runner pieces to the tread with staple pins. Keep the pins 3 inches apart.