How to Attach Stair Runners

Attaching the Runner

• 1

  Tape two 2-inch pieces of tackless strip together with the pins facing inward to make a spacer (a time-saving tool that will standardize all of your measurements). Make two spacers.

• 2

  Cut tackless strips to the length of the padding, using scissors. You will need two per step; the bottom step needs only one.

• 3

  Mark where the edges of the padding and the runner will be on each tread with a pencil. This will keep your runner centered the length of the staircase.

• 4

  Place spacers on the pencil marks for the padding on the tread and place a segment of tackless strip on spacers with the pins pointing down and the smooth side against the riser. Nail to the riser, repeating on every step.

• 5

  Place a segment of tackless strip on the tread 1/2 inch from the riser with the pins facing toward the riser. Nail to the tread, repeating on every step.

• 6

  Place padding on every tread but the bottom step, making sure it butts against the tackless strip fixed to the tread and folds over the nose of the tread. Tack or staple padding every 4 inches along top and bottom edges, measuring with a measuring tape.

• 7

  Position the runner face-down on the bottom tread against the tackless strip and tack it into place like padding. Roll over the nose of the tread, covering the riser that meets the floor. Attach a tackless strip across the runner at the base of the riser and pull the runner up and over the tread, doubling the thickness and turning the runner face up in the process.

• 8

  Work up each step from the bottom and push the runner onto the tackless strip on each tread, using a knee kicker. Push the runner onto the riser strips and into the angle formed by the tread and the riser, using a hammer and a stair tool. At the top, fold the end of the runner under and tack below the nosing of the landing.