DIY Stair Runner
Alright ya’ll, this is about as easy as it gets. This super simple DIY stair runner was the perfect finishing touch for our foyer. This space has come so far since we moved in. When we bought our home, our entrance was certainly plain looking.
Although I had big dreams for this space, there was a lot to love from the beginning. I loved that we even had a formal foyer. This is definitely a perk of owning an old house. I loved the detailing in the bannisters, the old wood, and the original, vintage chandelier. (How did we get so lucky with that beauty?)
Since the move three years ago, we’ve added wainscoting, refinished the floors, painted, added furniture, installed wallpaper, and finally — a runner.
This project was super simple, and we took a lot of inspiration from Liz Adams tutorial here. So let’s get into it!
Materials:
Runner (we used this one and ordered to size)
Pneumatic Staple Gun or Finish Nailer
Measuring Tape
Scissors
Pencil
First we needed to determine how much runner to order. We did this by measuring the depth of the stair tread and the height of the riser. Then we multiplied that by how many stairs we had total. We had to be careful because our first stair riser was taller than the rest of our stairs. Additionally, we had two landings that needed to be measured as well.
Our runners needed to be ordered in three pieces because our stairs turn twice. So we also made sure to figure out where the pieces would fit together and how.
Once all our materials arrived, it was time for the install. We started by measuring the width of the treads, from the banister to the wall, and marking the middle. We decided to center our runner from the banister, but you can also measure end to end of the tread.
Next, we created individual rug pads for each stair by cutting the rug pads to size. We placed the each cut rug pad all the way at the back of the stair. The rug pads will be slightly narrower than the runner, so they should be completely hidden. We didn’t worry too much about cutting these perfectly straight since they won’t be visible.
Be sure to cut the rug pad about 1/2 inch shorter than the tread of the stair. Repeat for all stairs and landings. We then placed the rug tape on each rug pad corner and pressed down into the stair until each pad was secured in place
Finally, it was time to secure the runner. We started at the top of our stairs and worked our way down. We aligned the top of the runner with the center of the top stair, and used the finish nailer to secure in place. It’s important to remember to measure each side of the runner as you work your way down. It’s extremely easy to start installing your runner on an angle. We made sure the space from the runner to the bannister was consistent on each step.
Nail the runner in place approximately every three inches. after the first piece of the runner is nailed in place, we used the bolster chisel to pull the runner taut under each bullnose and at the base of each riser. It’s important that the runner is pulled as taut as possible to prevent any bulging.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, we let the runner “flow” onto our floor. To avoid nailing into our floors, we simply used the rug tape to secure it to the floor.
And that’s it! This project was so worth it. Those wood stairs were certainly a tripping hazard prior to this project; beyond that, it added the final touch on our foyer. Check it out!
