How to Measure Your Stairs for a Runner
Stair runners have so many benefits. They make your stairs last longer. They protect hardwood flooring, and of course, they look super stylish. If you are already sold on the idea of a stair runner, you now need to make sure you pick the right length and width for your stairs.
Fortunately, the measuring process is incredibly straightforward, with even a complete DIY novice being more than capable of carrying out this home improvement task.
How to determine the length of the runner you’ll need
Before you start looking at stair runners, you first need to decide where you want your runner to start, as this will determine how long it will be. Some homeowners prefer their runner to come from the top tread and cover the bottom riser. Whereas others want to keep the bottom riser bare.
How to measure a full staircase
- Fix one end of a very long tape measure at the top of your stairs where you want your runner to start.
- Fix your tape measure at each point where a riser joins to the tread below it until you reach the point where you want your runner to end.
How to measure individual stair
- Measure each tread (the step itself) and each riser, making a note of each measurement as you go.
- To measure risers, you need to measure from the top of the nose of the tread above to the point where the riser meets the tread below.
- When finished, add them all together to find out how long your runner needs to be.
Once you have your total length measurement, it can be a good idea to add an extra 10% allowance to allow for errors during the fitting process.
How to determine the width of the runner you’ll need
As well as the length, you will also need to work out the width of the runner you need for your staircase before you start the ordering process, and here is how you do it:
- Measure the full width of a step
- Deduct a minimum of 5cm from each end
- If you want a narrower stair runner, this is fine, but you need at least 5cm clearance at both ends.
Once you have completed measuring your stairs, you can now start to choose your perfect stair runner and begin our simple ordering process. You also need to decide whether you will fit the stair runner yourself as a DIY project or if you would feel better handing over this job to a professional carpet fitter.
If you are planning to hire a fitter, make sure that you choose a reputable, local company that has excellent online reviews and that is willing to answer any questions you may have.
Here at A Flooring Boutique, we offer a wide range of stylish and affordable stair runners to suit all styles of homes and all types of interior design. We provide standard-size stair runners and ones that are made to order. Get in touch here for more information.