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

With more of us spending time indoors, our staircases are surely taking a beating. Give them a vibrant revival and make them less dangerous to slips and falls with a funky carpet runner (or a more muted one if your aesthetic calls for it). Follow these simple steps to give your staircase a major facelift.

materials required to renovate stairs with old carpet on them

Stephanie Foden

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The Materials Required

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.

Cleaning stairs before putting new carpet on them during a DIY project

Stephanie Foden

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Step One: Erase Your Previous Stairs From Your Memory

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).

Putting painter's tape on old stairs before painting them

Stephanie Foden

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Step Two: Prime and Ready

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.

Painting stairs with porch and floor interior and exterior paint

Stephanie Foden

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Step Three: Give Your Stairs New Life

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.

Putting painter's tape on old stairs before a DIY reno project

Stephanie Foden

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Step Four: Prevent a Wonky Runner

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.

Taping carpet padding on old stairs for a DIY renovation project

Stephanie Foden

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Step Five: Cushion Your Busy Feet

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.

Putting new carpet on old stairs to give them a fresh modern look

Stephanie Foden

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Step Six: Staple Down Carpet

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.