How to Install a Stair Runner With Only Brass Rods

Measure one of your stairs from the back of the horizontal tread to the front and down the riser to the next tread. Multiply by the number of stairs you want to cover, and buy a little more than this length of carpet runner. It is best to have more than you need, and 2 feet per stair is a good starting place. Buy the foam-backed, antiskid type of runner.

Trim the end of the runner perpendicular to the sides using a carpenter’s square and a utility knife. Cut a strip of self-adhesive carpet sealer trim tape longer than the width of the runner. Place the end of the runner down the middle of the trim strip and press down. Fold the other half of the sealer trim over the end and press. Trim off the excess sealer at the sides of the runner.

Center the sealed end of the runner in the middle of the stair, just under the nose of the floor at the top of the staircase. Hammer a carpet tack into the sealer tape at the sides of the runner. Hammer additional tacks evenly every 2 or 3 inches across the top of the runner.

Bend the runner so it stays flat against the riser and the bend fits into the joint between the riser and the tread. Measure to make sure the runner is centered on the stair. Center a brass stair rod across the runner at the bend. Make sure the same length of the rod extends beyond the runner at both sides. Push the bracket on each end of the stair rod to the end so it is against the finial. Seat the point of the triangular bracket flush into the joint where the riser meets the tread. Screw the bracket into place through the bracket holes, using the screws provided.

Lay the runner flat across the tread of the next stair. Measure again to ensure it is centered. If the stair has a nose, wrap the runner around the nose and staple it just under the nose.

Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to install the runner all the way down the staircase.

Trim the bottom of the runner flush with the floor at the bottom of the stairs. It should still be centered as it extends down the final riser. Repeat Step 2 to seal the end of the runner. Repeat Step 3 at the bottom to tack the runner into place.