How to Finish the Top of Hardwood Floor Stairs With a Runner

Finish the runner cleanly against hardwood floors at the top and bottom.

Some people prefer to hire an installer to lay a runner on a staircase. However, you can finish one with a professional look if you take your time and use the right tools. Although the runner wraps each stair tread up the staircase, it should stop short of hardwood floors at the top of the stairs. The flooring has a built-in nose or trim across the top of the staircase that will help you align the top of the runner for the tidiest result.

Things You'll Need

• Carpet shears or utility knife
• Carpet fray-stop liquid
• Staple gun
• 9/16 staples

Instructions

1. Smooth the carpet runner up the riser from the tackless strip that is fastened across the bottom of the top riser. Risers are the vertical boards at the back of stair treads that lead to the next higher tread. Treads are the horizontal part of the stairs for foot traffic.

2. Push the runner against the underside of the hardwood floor nose or trim at the top of the staircase.

3. Cut the carpet straight across along the underside of the trim with carpet shears or a utility knife. Cut slowly and with a firm hand to prevent crooked lines and pulled yarns.

4. Apply carpet fray-stop liquid across the cut edge of the carpet runner, and let it dry as long as the manufacturer recommends.

5. Press the top edge of the carpet runner against the top of the riser. Staple the top edge of the runner to the riser, just beneath the hardwood flooring nose or trim, with a staple gun and 9/16 staples. Space staples approximately 3 inches apart.

Tips & Warnings

• If the runner is accidentally cut ragged, it’s not ruined. Wrap the cut edge with carpet binding tape or narrow, heavy-duty blanket binding. Staple through the binding and the carpet to fasten the runner across the top of the stairs.

• Use care when working around tackless carpet strips that are fastened to the staircase. They are covered with sharp, metal pins.

References

• This Old House: How to Install a Carpet Runner