Many of us know what it's like to see an unattractive, worn carpet on the stairs every day. The thought of replacing can seem daunting, and perhaps that is why old carpet paths stay in place for too long. If you are ready for change and want to update the carpet on the stairs, read about how to remove the old track and lay a new one. We hope that this step-by-step guide, detailed and with many photos, will be useful for you and will help you to perform the work from the beginning to the end. We will talk about how to safely remove the old carpet on the stairs, prepare and paint the steps and lay a new path.
Of course, your ladder may differ from the one in the pictures, but we will try to give you advice on any problems that you may encounter while working. This project will help you to save, and you can lay the cover the way you like it. Ready? For work.
Difficulty: medium.
Necessary materials
To delete an old track:
- flat screwdriver and pliers;
- nail and hammer;
- gloves;
- strength and patience.
For preparation and painting steps:
- sandpaper of medium grain size (8-H);
- putty and spatula;
- sealant;
- primer;
- paint for floor covering (or any of its analogues).
For laying a new track:
- anti-slip mat;
- carpet track of the required length;
- measuring tape (not required, but recommended);
- strong scissors for dense fabrics;
- a construction stapler or an electric stapler.
To: in these photos you can see a ladder with an old carpet before starting work on its replacement. Coverage looks worn and dirty - it definitely needs to be updated. Of course, to clean the vacuum cleaner before starting work is not worth it.
It is worth noting that in this manual are mentioned such parts of the ladder as: tread (horizontal part of the ladder, support for the foot), riser (vertical crossbars between the steps) and spout (edge of the tread, slightly protruding above the riser).
DELETING THE OLD CARPET TRACK
Step 1: We proceed to remove the old carpet track. Firmly grasp the corner of the carpet and pull on yourself, separating it from the step. Continue until completely clear the first upper step from the coating. We advise you not to hurry and work on each part of the stairs separately - that is, go to the next section only after you have freed the previous one.
Tip: wear gloves and be extremely careful. Metal staples, with which the carpet is attached to the stairs, can be invisible and insidious.
Using a flat screwdriver, release all visible staples in the riser. Work carefully so as not to damage the tree, especially if you are going to simply paint the steps without laying a path.
Remove the staples from the wood with pliers. When you find that all the staples have been removed, gently swipe (gloved) along the wooden surface before moving on to a new area. There is a possibility that you will find another pair of staples hidden from the eyes. Remove them.
Step 2: remove the influenza reiki and the curtain from the tread. Gripper racks are, as a rule, narrow wooden slats with small nails, with which the edges of the carpet are attached to the floor and ensure its immobility. Taking nails into account, they should be removed carefully and with the help of a hammer and nail.
Tip: if the underlay gasket is in good condition, you can leave it (or some part of it) on the treads, as a soft lining between the steps and the carpet. In this case, only the edges of the gasket were removed, the rest remained in place.
Here's how to look like treads and risers after removing the carpet: all staples are removed, the lining is clipped, the flipper rails are removed.
Step 3: continue in the same spirit, until you free the whole ladder. In our case, the work was done gradually: first the carpet was removed from two or three steps, then cut with a knife.
Tip: for your own safety it is better to leave the cover on the lower steps where you sit while working on the top.
But what the whole staircase looked like after most of the work on the direct steps was done. There is nothing difficult in removing the cover from the wedge-shaped steps (note: the ladder with such a rotation, as in this picture, is called screw).
PREPARATION AND COATING OF STAIRS
Step 1: Fill all cracks and holes with putty. Before this, you can process the steps with sandpaper, which will help you to see all the irregularities. In our case, the staircase was simply vacuumed, since the largest holes from nails and staples were 10 cm from the walls on each tread and on each riser.
When working with putty it is recommended to use a spatula.
In areas where there is a significant damage to the wood - large cracks and chipped - spatula especially to the place.
However, for sealing small cracks and holes, you can use your own fingers, in this case, this method is much more effective. Allow the putty thoroughly to dry out (the recommended time is at least 2 hours).
Step 2: Treat the areas with dried shpatlevkoi sandpaper. Use a medium-sized sandpaper, for example, 8-H, and grind the surface of the steps so that it is perfectly flat - and treads and risers. If necessary, repeat the step with the putty until the whole surface of the steps becomes smooth and smooth (in this case, two full tubes of filler were used).
Step 3: Sealant treatment. After you finally finish polishing and smoothing the surface of the steps (and this can take a day or two), you may find that the edges of the steps at the joints with the wall need to be treated with a sealant.
If you are going to lay a new carpet track, it is not necessary to work the sealant between the central sections between the tread and the riser.
Seal the areas along the edges of the risers, treads and spouts, as well as slightly at the junction between the riser and the tread.
This is how a fully prepared staircase treated with putty looks, polished (in several stages) and treated with sealant. After the sealant dries, the ladder will be ready to be primed and painted.
Paint, step 1: Apply the primer on the step. Here, to handle the sealed joints and the wooden surface of the steps, an angled brush was used. Do not feel sorry for the primer - treat it all the surface on the sides of the steps, even if it is hidden under the carpet.
The primer dries out quite quickly - most likely, by the time you finish processing the edges, the stairs will be ready for painting. If you want, at this stage, you can still polish the surface of the stairs.
Paint, step 2: Apply the paint:
Properly stir the paint (if you prefer to stick certain sections of the steps to leave them unpainted - it's time to do it).
Apply the paint to the areas marked by you (in this case - about 10 cm wide on the sides of the steps) with light brush strokes, trying to make the painted surface smooth.
Allow the paint to dry. Lightly sand the painted surface with sandpaper where it is necessary, in your opinion, and then apply one or more coats of paint, depending on your preference. In this case, the paint was applied in three layers.
STACKING A NEW CARPET TRACK
Step 1: Estimate, what should be the length of your carpet track. Measurements and calculations can take time, since the last thing you want to encounter is a shortage of material. First of all, measure the length of the tread, the width of the spout and the height of the riser. If you are dealing with a straight ladder, simply multiply the resulting numbers by the total number of steps and add the height of one more riser. If you have a spiral staircase, measure the length of the widest part of the wedge-shaped tread and add to this number the spout's width and the height of the riser. Repeat the same with all the indirect steps, and then add up all the resulting numbers.
The measurements showed the total length of the carpet 6, 9 m. For the new coating, 3 tracks with a total length of 7, 3 m were bought. This length was almost exactly in the same way - as a result, a segment of about 30 cm long remained. Buy a track slightly longer than necessary, to make sure that it is enough for you or that you can use a surplus to eliminate any kind of flaws.
Step 2: Cut the anti-slip mat into parts equal to the length of each tread along with the spout. To save on buying an anti-slip mat, calculate in advance what length you will need (keep in mind that you do not need to cover the risers with such a rug).
Measure the length of the tear along with the spout - this number will be the length of the pieces of the anti-slip mat. Cut the pieces to the width so that everyone was 5 cm already carpeted (that is, 2, 5 cm on each side).
Step 3: Attach slots of the anti-slip mat to each tread with a construction stapler. On top, put a measuring tape to make sure that the line lies strictly in the center (if you are sure that the eye does not fail you, you can not use the measuring tape).
First, attach the upper corners of the anti-slip mat to the tread (in a pair of centimeters from the edges) with two staples. Then fasten the bottom edge under the spout with three staples (two on the edges and one in the center).
Note: this is not shown here, but the same work was done with wedge-shaped steps - just pieces of anti-slip mat were triangular in shape.
Step 4: Lay the carpet on the stairs freely. This will give you an idea of what you are working on - whether your measurements were accurate, would your length of carpet be enough? What surplus can remain? (at the time of purchase, make sure that not only the length, but the width of the carpet corresponds to the dimensions of your ladder).
It will not hurt to know how the carpet will be located even before you attach it to the stairs, including where the seams will be located. Here is a picture of a carpet path lying freely on the stairs.
Step 5: Begin laying the track from the lowest step. If you have a direct staircase, you can immediately go to step 9, in which case your work will be quick and easy, and much less problematic than those who are less fortunate with screw stairs.
Put a measuring tape on top of the track to make sure that the carpet track is located strictly in the center of the step along the entire length of the ladder. Attach the bottom edge of the track to the bottom of the first under the riser using a construction stapler.
Making sure that the carpet track was straight and well stretched, continue to work with a construction stapler, driving the staples 5-7 cm apart.
Tip: do not worry that the metal braces will be visible. They are noticeable only if you bend over and take a good look, but as a rule are not noticeable at all.
Step 6: Attach the path to the top of the riser, directly under the spout: making sure that the carpet track is straight (that is, ideally vertically), gently pull it and attach it with the stapler to the upper edge of the riser. Again, it is recommended to drive the staples at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other, although the distance may vary depending on the type of carpet chosen and your preferences. These braces will be hidden under the spout.
That's all, it was not so difficult, right? True, small difficulties will be ahead, but you have already gained valuable experience, so you will manage.
Step 7: Lay the carpet track on the wedge-shaped steps. In the farthest corner below measure the distance from the wall distance that you will follow when laying the track along the entire length of the stairs.
As follows, pulling the track, pull it to this corner and attach it with one clip to the bottom of the riser.
Теперь подтяните дорожку к другому, ближнему углу клиновидной ступени, убедившись в том, что обе стороны дорожки параллельны по отношению друг к другу и к стенам. Прикрепите дорожку скобой в этом углу. Разгладьте поверхность дорожки на клиновидной проступи, натяните дорожку и закрепите ее скобами по всей ширине нижнего края подступенка. (Tip: пусть скобы будут расположены у самого нижнего края подступенка, как можно ближе к нижней проступи).
Measure the necessary distance from the wall to the top of the riser and spout in the far upper corner of the wedge-shaped step. Attach the path with a bracket directly under the spout at the top of the riser.
Gently pull the track, laying it on the next wedge-shaped step, close to the next riser, at the same distance from the wall.
Fasten the track at the bottom of this riser.
You probably noticed that the folds, gathered at the narrow edge of the wedge-shaped steps, look rather sloppy. Do not worry, very soon you will deal with the excess of carpet material. Depending on the angle of rotation of the spiral staircase, you may soon have too much material in order to be able to accurately fix it on the riser. So it happened in this case. If this happens, pull the free edge of the track upward, pressing it against the riser at the narrow edge of the step (keep in mind that the line of this edge will NOT be vertical).
Determine where you can cut the path so as to get rid of the excess material. Then you will need to lower the cut edge down, over that part of the path that is adjacent to the narrow edge of the riser, and secure it with a bracket at its lower edge.
Tip: It is very important to repeatedly try to fold the track to assess its position and the desired length BEFORE you start to cut something. After you make a cut, you can not fix anything.
Very, very carefully cut in the path a narrow triangle, so that when folding the track snugly adjoined the steps and the amount of excess material slightly decreased. In the above picture, the carpet that is held in the hand will fit tightly to the riser above the section that can be seen behind, and securely fastened to the lower part of the riser by the staples, just below the orange triangles in the figure - thus, the track will be vertically stacked in height riser.
First, fix the edge of the lower part of the path under the spout.
Spread the top of the stretch of the track so that its line is strictly perpendicular to the spout.
After you make sure that the track is laid flat, fasten the upper corner under the spout (just above the point where you just fixed the bottom line). We see that the dangling part of the path is pinched, but for now we will leave it as it is.
Making sure that the track lay flat and well stretched, fix it under the spout with clips at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other.
Then gently apply the lower portion of the carpet (the one that is bristled) so that its lower edge touches the surface of the step. Secure it with staples in the same way.
Repeat the same steps with all wedge-shaped steps. In other words, first you fix the path on the wide part of the riser, just below the spout, straighten the path on the upper step and fasten it at the bottom edge of the wide part, then the narrow part of the next riser ...
... then carefully smooth and stretch the path on the surface of the tread back, towards the spout, and then - the lower part of the previous riser, for which you will need to carefully cut a part of the path to get rid of the excess material that will be attached to the riser.
Step 8: When starting to work on the straight part of the ladder, align the position of the track so that it coincides with the position of the track on the wedge-shaped steps (in fact at this stage you can afford a small winning dance: it was not easy to work on the wedge-shaped steps). Work on the direct part of the ladder will seem to you a real holiday compared to the previous part of the work.
Step 9: Lay the track on the straight section of the stairs. Properly attach the carpet to the bottom of the riser, making sure that it lies flat and is well stretched over the entire height. Pull the path up vertically and secure it straight under the spout. Start from the center and attach the path with the staples towards the edge, making sure that the cover lies flat and well stretched. Then do the same - again from the center towards the other edge. Pull the path up and flatten it on the nozzle and lay it on the next tread, fix it at the bottom of the next riser, as close to the step surface, again working from the center to the sides.
If you have several tracks and one of them is over, cut off the excess of the used track so that the rest of it is securely attached to the riser. Lay the next track over this area and secure its lower edge at the bottom edge of the riser, and then continue working as before.
Step 10: When you reach the last stair riser, cut off the excess carpet with an allowance of 5-10 cm.
Wrap the edge of the path inward to get a neat edge.
Pull this edge of the path straight under the spout formed by the floor covering ...
... and secure it securely.
Step 11: Step back a couple of steps and admire your renewed, much more beautiful staircase.
The view of the new path, decorating and refreshing the staircase, pleases incredibly, especially when recalling the old dirty and worn carpet that was in this place just a couple of days ago.
Remembered?
