How to Install a Rug on Stairs

Remove the present carpet from the stairs and clean any leftover debris.

Measure the tread and width of the stairs. Measure the width of the rug. Write down the measurements on paper. Subtract the rug width from the stair width. Divide the resulting number by 2. For example, assume the tread of the stair is 6 inches, the width measures 30 inches, and the width of the rug measures 26 inches. Subtracting 26 from 30 gives you 4 inches. Dividing 4 inches by 2 gives you 2 inches.

Mark each end of the stair using the measurement found and a square to guarantee the lines are perpendicular to the rise. If the number found after dividing by 2 is 2, for example, mark each stair with a 2-inch barrier on each end of the stair. This barrier is the amount of space left on either side of the rug once it has been laid.

Cut pieces of carpet pad to the width found after subtracting 2 inches from the width of the rug and 1 inch less than the tread of the stair. For example, if the rug width is 26 inches, subtract 2 inches, leaving 24 inches. With the tread of the stair measuring 6 inches, cut the pads to 5-by-24-inch rectangles. Cut one carpet pad for each step.

Staple the carpet pads to the tread, starting the edge of the pad just over the nose of the stair, centered between the two pencil marks and 1 inch from the rise of the next step.

Lay tackless strip on each tread in the open 1-inch space between the pad and the riser of the next step. Hammer down the two nails found in the center of the tackless strip.

Measure the ends of the rug to discern if the ends have 90-degree angled corners. Cut the rug to create 90-degree corners using a box cutter if the needed corners are not present.

Line the edges of the rug on the bottom stair to the pencil marks with the end of the rug parallel to the floor.

Staple the rug to the riser of the bottom stair, with the end parallel to the floor and under the nose, using 8 to 12 staples. Check that the edges of the rug line up with the pencil markings.

Stretch the rug to the next riser using a carpet stretcher, pushing down on the rug over the tackless strip. Staple the rug to the next riser and under the next nose using the same amount of staples. Continue to staple the rug to the stairs until the rug reaches the top stair. Always check that the edges of the rug line up with the pencil markings on each step.