Hi there kk! That's very sweet of you, and sure you can have my runner.......let's make a deal ;-)

Seriously, I looked through my house receipts and can find all kinds of things but nothing on that runner. I can easily call the store I bought it from tomorrow and chances are good they'll have a record since it's a small local carpet place.

What I can tell you is that it's carpet I had cut and bound, not a premade runner. I wanted something that would be easy care - no vacuum or foot marks allowed in my life! It's been down 3 maybe 4 years now and it's perfect. I went with a place I'd done business with for a long time because if it had been bound or layed incorrectly it would have looked horrid. The carpet has a strong linear aspect and the binding HAD to follow exactly or it would look crooked going up the stairs.

There is a rectangle of padding on each tread but none on the risers or stair lip. There are 2 methods of installing runners - waterfall and this one, which I can't remember the name of, of course, but will ask. Waterfall runs over the stair lip and goes down on an angle to the point where the lower tread and riser meet then is stapled there, goes across the next tread and repeated. That method seemed an invitation for dust and dog hair to collect in the open angle of space between the carpet and the riser. The method I chose runs across the tread and over the lip then is stapled tightly under the lip, goes straight down the riser and is stapled at the tread/riser junction. Does that make sense? I can get a close picture of mine if you need it. It's more labor to do it this way but I think it's a cleaner, more tailored look.

The runner was made in 3 sections, if I remember right. That's what worked well with the carpet width and the runner width I decided on. I also had a piece bound for my entry.

Carpet going over stairs, and especially with this install method, has to be good quality and a tight construction or it will "smile" as it goes over the edge of each stair and you'll see the binding - not a good look!

If there's anything else I can find out for you let me know. I'll try and call tomorrow and get the specs but I also have to do a real estate tax appeal so it's possible I may not get to it till Tues.

Deb

Thanks for responding Deb. You are so nice for looking into your receipts for me and giving me so much info. You don't need to contact your carpet place because I think I have enough to go on.

I figured it wasn't a pre-made runner but couldn't tell for sure. The idea of having rectangular pads on the treads makes so much sense. I think that really gives it that tailored look. No waterfall for me, either.

I think my next step is to ask around to find a really good local carpet place (seems like the installer is the key) I may go with a solid but I LOVE your linear look. And the color.

Thank you so much for your help. Do not worry about getting me more info. You have been a great help and inspiration.

For anyone who is wondering what I am talking about, here is a pic of Deb's (dlm200's) runner. Isn't is classy? (Hope it was OK to post your pic, Deb.)

You're welcome - glad I helped. Be careful with solid colors - they show everything whatever the "everything" is in your home - lint, pet hair, no desire to vacuum this week...... Tweedy material, some kind of tone on tone or pattern is a lot more forgiving if you're not an OC cleaner!

Thanks again, Deb. Good feedback. LOTS of pet hair here and not an OC cleaner!

Hey Deb, it is me again. I just picked up my carpet and need to bring it to the binder guy this week. Also, I love the idea of making a rug for the entry that matches.

It looks like you just used a simple binding on the side of the runner? Did you do the same for the rug? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kelly

Thanks so much for starting this thread. I'm very grateful for this information, as we are planning on replacing our stair runner in a year or so. I had no idea there was this alternative method, which I GREATLY prefer.

Hi Kelly - can't wait to see the carpet you chose!

Organic - I understand completely - I hate seeing myself coming and going and prefer to find out of the box resources when I can. From the little I've seen of your home you do the same.

I did go with the same simple, narrow binding for both. I considered using a wide binding but it's been my experience that those wide bindings (although they look nice) are the first things to show dirt and wear. Here's a closer look for you.

This is the entry rug with flash

{{!gwi}}

And this is the stair runner without flash. If you look at the bottom stair on the wood you can see the dog hair accumulating - but nothing shows on the carpet - I LOVE this carpet!

{{!gwi}}

Deb, Thanks for taking the time to take the pictures and post them for me. You have been so helpful on this! That totally makes sense on seeing dirt on a wider binding.

os, I went looking for a remnant that could be bound together for a runner but no luck. I swear 95% of the remnants were beige/tan. I was told the binding is not that expensive and the installation can't be too steep. I think the cost is really in the carpet you chose. I needed a 6' by 12' piece but it was a little pricey. (I have no idea what a premade runner costs. I just know that I couldn't find one that I liked.)

Anyhoo, I found a burgundy color with tan dots that I really like. It is called needlepoint. It goes well with my current furnishings and colors. Also, I think it will look really good with the stained wood since it is more on the red side. The first thing you see when you walk in my house is my staircase. I don't want to make a huge statement with the runner but want it to look nice. I want to look at it and say, "oh, good idea. Not too crazy - not too boring. Juuuuuust right." Like Deb's!

Here is a pic. It is looking a bit red on my monitor but is more burgundy in person. Wish me luck.

Thanks again, Deb. You are wonderful!

Kelly: I love that color. After reading this thread yesterday, I envisioned something similar--style and color--for my own staircase!

Yes! Let's start a cool stair runner club. So far it is you, me and Deb. (But we won't be snobby like some cliques.)

LOL!!!

Sorry to say I won't be a part of the club any time soon, but I can't wait to see that on your beautiful staircase - I bet it will look great!

I'll join! I need to address my slippery stairs, but I've been stymied about what to get. I never knew you could just get regular carpet and make it work, I thought you had to get the pre-made runners. Thanks for bringing this thread back!

Kelly are you keeping a waiting list for membership ;-)

Your runner is going to look great - did you get a time frame for completion?

Using carpet for a runner opens up a whole world of possibilities. It can be totally plain and unobtrusive or you can go into patterns, geometrics or sculptures that you'd hesitate to use in an entire room. I have hardwoods everywhere so don't do wall to wall but have also had carpet bound for large area rugs in my dining room, living room and family room. I'll get a shot of that one later.

dlm, I would love to see how this integrates with other rugs in adjoining rooms or halls.

And I do have one specific question...on the top of the top stair, does the runner keep going through your hall? I haven't been able to figure this one out in my mind's eye. We need the rug over the edge of the top step/hall floor too, but our upstairs hall tees off in 3 short stubs. There is a threshold at each door so I could run something up to those.

bungalo my runner is purposely subtle because you can see it, the living room and dining room from the front door. My DR currently has no rug but I'll get a pic later that shows the stairs and LR rug. I didn't use the runner in the upstairs hall because the doorways are not balanced from the top of the stairs. It would have required a really odd configuration of short choppy pieces going to each doorway, and since 3 of the 4 bedrooms are hardwood floors anyway, I didn't bother. My runner stops where the upstairs hall overhangs the top step. I can get a pic of that too if it's not clear. Sometimes it's hard to visualize.

Hey Deb,

The carpet is in my car. My goal is to get it to the binding shop on Thursday or Friday (they have the same hours as my work schedule of course.) They said they can turn it around in a week. Then I just need to get the installer scheduled. I would be thrilled if I could get it done by Jan 31st.

My runner will start right under the top stair because there is carpeting on the second level.

Our stairs are hardwood and our risers are painted. At the top of the stairs we did not run the carpet up and over that top wooden stair. The carpet guy thought that if we did that, we'd have a dangerous lip at the top of the stairs. So at the top of the stairs, the runner ends at the top of the riser, right below the top step.

We ran the runner all the way down the stairs, down the first riser, to our hardwood floor. That way we would not get any scuff marks on that first riser. (The install guy said that they shouldn't have put quarter-round there but it was too late.)

We used commercial padding on the stairs as recommended. Our binding is wider than the OP's, but not as wide as you see on sisal rugs. I didn't even question the width but wish I had.

The only other thing was that the salesman and I had painstakingly measured and made decisions about the amount of wood to be showing, but I neglected to keep a copy. When the install guy showed up, he had no idea what I was talking about. So make sure you write down everything.

Kelly be sure to post pics when it's all done. This is the rug in my family room. It's also carpet but with a wider binding. I looked at lots of rugs and couldn't find what I wanted so went this route.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Meg that's great advice about the padding - no point in trying to cut costs on something that takes so much abuse. I left the riser on my first stair bare because it's a rounded first step and I like the sweep of the line without the carpet.

bungalo - this is how the runner and LR rug are viewed just inside my front door and why I wanted a texture on the runner more than a pattern.

{{!gwi}}

Wow Deb, I don't know if I ever saw pics of your house. VERY nice, I love your choice of wall colors.

Meg, thanks for the info. I was wondering about how wide the rug should be. I was thinking a 30" wide runner which would leave me with about a 3.5 inch piece of wood on each side.

dlm2000, you have such a lovely home. I've been admiring the tables in your FR, coffee and especially the lighter toned console table ;) If it's not too impolite to ask, would you have details on those that you could share? I've been looking for a similar table (the console).

kitchenkelly,

When we finally got to installing the runner (months and months after having moved in), I was trying so hard to be fine with it--even though I was sure we had asked for it to be wider. Our staircase isn't narrow, so there's enough runner there even with the sizeable amount of wood showing.

The runner is 32" wide and the reveal is about 7", not including the wood to the outside of the bannister railings. The installer said something about 6" or 7" being the standard reveal but I think he was just covering himself at that point.

Also, our stairway makes a turn, the bottom stairs are wider than the upper stairs, and there are posts that cut in so it was kind of like a geometry puzzle to figure out how close we could get to the posts, etc., and still have it look okay.

After the runner had been cut the installer said that we could possibly have had the runner hug the posts but I've never seen it done that way. Not sure how that would have looked and it was too late for us anyway.

We're still having a problem with our hard drive but I'll try to take and post photos later if that would help.

Moonshadow - it's not impolite at all - it's quite a compliment - thank you! The console table is a junky little piece I bought a few years ago at World Market! It was the last one there - the floor model and kinda dinged up but it didn't matter to me for my purposes. The coffee table is a Lane piece that I've had probably 20 years. It's due to be refinished with a darker stain on the top and the same paint finish I did on the tv cabinet for the apron and legs.

UPDATE: The runner is here. The finished serged edge isn't an exact match but I am sure that I am the only one who will notice. The edge is a little bigger than I had hoped but again....the only person who will notice is the person who paid for it.

Here it is:

Here is a pic of the leftover piece that I will have made into a matching rug:

I don't know what my rush is. My interim solution is so pretty. (Please feel free to email on this process. The double sided tape gets a little tricky.)