Old Carpet on Your Stairs? Here’s a DIY Makeover to Bring Them New Life

You will need: a carpet runner, a measuring tape, sand paper, primer and paint, a paint brush, a roller, painter’s tape, carpet tape, carpet pads, a staple gun, half-inch staples and strong scissors.

Whether you have a grungy carpet runner or a drably-painted staircase, remove all signs of your past by kicking that old rug to the curb and sanding off paint chips or rough patches. Then, give the whole staircase a good cleaning. As you hunt for your new runner, make sure it’ll fit the width of your steps, but don’t worry about length as you can buy multiple and merge them together (see step seven).

Was your staircase painted with oil- or water-based paint? If you don’t know, slap on a coat of oil-based primer and sealer. But first, protect your walls and anything you don’t want to paint (i.e. door stoppers) with painter’s tape.

Use porch and floor interior/exterior paint and choose a colour that compliments the carpet runner you’ve chosen. Be sure to slather on at least two coats. Note: If you don’t want to paint the parts of the stairs that will be covered by the runner you don’t have to.

To ensure your carpet stays centred, measure out the width of your runner as well as the steps to determine how much of a gap there’s going to be on either side. Then use painter’s tape to indicate where the runner will go.

While your paint dries for at least 24 hours, measure and cut carpet padding to make rectangular pieces that fit within each step (it doesn’t need to be too precise). Then, put down carpet tape on each step and stick down the padding pieces.

Put down a strip of carpet tape at the top of your staircase under the lip if you’re working your way down or where the stairs meet the floor if you’re working your way up. Now, push down the carpet, making sure it’s aligned and adheres to the gaps measured in step four. As you keep the carpet tight to prevent any air pockets, staple it down under the lips and creases.

If you’re using multiple runners, cut the carpet where it meets a step crease. Do the same thing for subsequent runners until the final floor crease.

Now that the hard work is complete, test out your new runner to ensure it’s properly secured to the stairs. Once it is, enjoy the new view!