Seriously last post: runners for stairs?

[mommy111]

While we love our hardwood stairs, my kids insist they are too slippery.....and have slipped on them a few times, once with a concussion. Any refs for installing runners that don’t look ugly, and do the job? Would you go through a carpet store? It seems to me like they wouldn’t want to do this given how small a job this is, no?

[KpbS]

There was a post about this same thing

https://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sh...60#post4369760

[mommy111]

There was a post about this same thing

https://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sh...60#post4369760

Thank you for this! I think in our situation we are pretty much decided we need runners, I just have no idea how to go about it!!

[boilermakermom]

We went to a local carpet store we like, and picked out a carpet that had the colors and texture we wanted. They had it made into a carpet runner to match our dimensions, and installed it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I’m curious why you would worry a carpet store wouldn’t do the job. Lots of people want just a room or just a staircase.
The previous owners installed a 2 toned beige patterned rug. This one isn’t really my style but it’s worked out and no plans to change it. I’m glad it has the design in it for some visual interest.
They put berber on the stairs to the basement and every stray piece of leaf or dirt that we track in through the garage just sits on top of the fibers. I guess it’s easier to clean? But it annoys me.


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[ezcc]

We did a runner in our old house for this reason- had a carpet store do it, we picked a dark red and it looked nice and did not show dirt.

[mmsmom]

I think I replied in other thread but we installed a runner last summer. We went through a carpet/flooring store we have used before and they absolutely do these kinds of jobs all the time. Ours is a chevron pattern and doesn’t seem to show any dirt or pet hair. I insisted on a runner after both DC, DH and the dog slipped on the stairs. Although we didn’t have a runner in previous house for 12 years and it was fine. I think it was around $1200 including carpet, binding, pad, labor. I know others have done for less though.

[twowhat?]

Hi! I started that original post last year and wanted to update where we landed! So, we did try getting the nonslip socks for the grandparents but they would never wear them when they came over. We did have one grandparent slip and fall on the stairs, thankfully near the bottom so it wasn't serious but yikes. We had some scary slips with our elderly dog (at the time) and after she died, we got a new rescue dog and the scary slips were even worse because he's bigger with long legs.

I found a company that makes custom stair treads. Custom was important because we have these angled steps that would need very specific shapes. I couldn't find a non-wool option that I liked on their website so they told me I could go to any local carpet store to find something I liked and they'd order it. We ended up deciding on an Anderson nylon carpet in a warm grey tweed pattern. It took MONTHS to get the treads made because of covid but we finally got them and installed them - they use a pressure sensitive adhesive that's removable (kind of like the sticky stuff they use on the back of new credit cards) and which theoretically won't harm the wood. All we had to do was clean the steps well, making sure any body oils were thoroughly removed and any cleaning agents thoroughly rinsed off, and then stick the treads on. Easy enough that my kids helped. We are REALLY happy with them. Everyone can go safely up and down the steps, the treads have not budged, and they look GREAT. They're more of a pain to clean (have to vacuum because of dog hair) but it's been fine, esp once I got a cordless dyson. And it's not like we eat on the steps or the dog has accidents on the steps so we're talking more dog hair and dirt tracked into the carpet.

The company we used was Oak Valley Designs: https://www.oakvalleydesigns.com/ And they were GREAT to work with and the entire project was completed via email. HOWEVER I believe they ran into some serious struggles during covid...there are some pretty poor recent reviews online from people who weren't able to get their treads or got questionable quality treads. I feel like we were lucky to get our order in before all the problems started. I hope they are able to pull themselves out and get the business back on track because if they can, then I definitely recommend. Our project cost just over 1K.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/db...f97b368596.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/1e...f6ba688444.jpg

eta: now that we've done the treads, I would also definitely consider a traditional runner, there are many beautiful options but would want to make sure the rug/carpet you pick is durable and easy to clean. I don't think a carpet company would view this as a "small job". The disadvantage of a permanently installed runner is permanently installed nails and/or adhesive...but now that we have the treads, we're certain we'd always want to keep a rug/carpet on the stairs anyway. It makes a BIG difference in safety, and when you pick the right rug and leave the right amount of reveal on the sides, will still look beautiful. Look on pinterest and focus on staircases that are similar to yours in tones (wood tones, paint colors, etc) and you will get a really good sense of what will look nice. And then - get samples and bring them INTO your home since your lighting will play a big role. I thought a herringbone was gonna work well but once we brought a sample in, it was way too much small/repeat pattern for our large and prominent staircase. The other one we really liked was an indigo plaid pattern (a much larger scale pattern) that looked AMAZING but we decided to play it safe with something more subtle and texture-y in hopes it will look good and hide wear/dirt for a long time.

[mommy111]

Thank you all for the fantastic ideas and also for the specific pricing info. So invaluable!! I’ve always thoughts of treads as ugly but wow!! Also the pricing reference from mmsmom was great, really helps me understand what budget we’re looking at. Thank you all so much!!

[westwoodmom04]

I think I replied in other thread but we installed a runner last summer. We went through a carpet/flooring store we have used before and they absolutely do these kinds of jobs all the time. Ours is a chevron pattern and doesn’t seem to show any dirt or pet hair. I insisted on a runner after both DC, DH and the dog slipped on the stairs. Although we didn’t have a runner in previous house for 12 years and it was fine. I think it was around $1200 including carpet, binding, pad, labor. I know others have done for less though.

The big cost with runners is labor so it will vary depending on how uniform your stairs are, and whether they twist. I would definitely go with the local carpet shop, you’ll get a better product and will be supporting a small business.