Posts Tagged ‘installing carpet’

There are two different ways you can go about installing carpet stair tread. These two methods are called the waterfall strategy and the cap and band method. With the waterfall system one long pieces of carpet is used to cover each riser and tread. With a cap and band method one piece of carpet is installed over the tread called the cap and another piece, called the band, is used to cover the riser. The waterfall method is the hottest method used for installing carpet step tread.

When installing carpet step tread you will need some basic tools including tack strips, staples, knee kicker, stair tool, hammer, safety glasses, utility knife, and measuring tape. Your primary step will be to remove any old carpet that could be covering the steps. The old tack strips and padding should also be removed.

Before beginning you will need to ascertain how much carpet you will need . If you measure each tread and riser then add around three inches per stair. Then multiply that number by the number of stairs that you have. If your steps have nosing you will have to add around one foot to your total.

Now you are ready to install. Place a tack strip on the stair crotch. Tuck the carpet into the crotch with your knee kicker. The knee kicker will be used to stretch the carpet from the center of the tread and hook it into the tack strip. Once it is firmly hooked in you can attach it gently using your carpet tool to compact the tack strip pins. Trim excess pieces using your application knife. Make sure the carpet is smooth before continuing to the following tread. Don’t forget to staple the carpet to the step lip and tread each couple of inches. Continue this process till all the stairs are covered. Get carpet stair treads here.