40 Minute $140 Staircase Makeover (for Safety and Style!)
5 Materials
Shortly after we moved into our new house, my son took a spill on the stairs. Then my nephew. Then my friend's toddler. And then we have our dog Sam who would slip and slide all over the stairs and the landing every time he went up and down. We needed to add a staircase carpet runner before someone else hurt themselves on our stairs.
Instead of spending big bucks on actual stair carpet runner, I decided to go the more frugal route and use regular carpet runners. I tested out a carpet runner that we already had in the house from Target to see how it would look and after laying it on the stairs, decided it was a good fit, color, and material.
My handsome handy husband started out by making sure the runner was centered with a tape measure. Since this carpet runner had a latex backing, there was no need for us to use a non-slip rug pad. He used an air compressor and staple gun to attach the runner to the stair risers and avoided putting staples into the LVP. (Click the link below to read more about LVP.)
It was easier to use a good quality scissor rather than a carpet cutting knife to cut this type of loop carpet runner. He just had to make sure that he left enough slack for the carpet to be stapled under the tread.
The second runner was added and the transition was much more seamless than I had imagined it would be. Because of the pattern of this carpet runner, you really, really have to look hard to see where the pattern does not match up.
Hopefully this runner will help with any future slips or spills down the stairs. I have the same exact runner in our mudroom that has been there since the day we moved in and it has held up incredibly well. So far no stains and no wear pattern. But even if these stair runners last 4 - 5 years, I will not feel bad about replacing them since they only cost us $140.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 152 comments
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I like this safe and your colors looks good together.
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Hi. I wondered what size staples you used? We have same rug for our stairs.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
How does the air compressor work/ does it work in tandem with the staple gun?
Why did you use an air compressor?
How did you install LVP on the steps before the the runner? Do you have recommended brand, type, install type (glue vs. snap & click, etc)? Thanks!