Estimating stair carpet

[Egremont]

I need a new stair carpet, thought this was one job I wouldn't DIY so just had fitter round to quote.

I need 5.75m x 0.8m, as per my old carpet (ie 4.6m2). I thought this would just come from 2 x 1m strips off the end of a std 3 or 4 mtr carpet roll, but according to the fitter I need 3m x 4m. He says he needs to cut the strips the other way because of the nap of the carpet, and that there won't be much waste (160% by my arithmatic!). But I can see maybe the nap of the carpet should run downwards (or is it upwards, or then again sideways?).

Could I get an adequate job from 3 or 4m x 2m?, or do I take the advice of the fitter?

BTW - carpet will be on the expensive side - I didn't think I'd need much!.

Egremont.

[sPoNiX]

You have to have the 'nap' facing up to reduce the chance of someone falling down the stairs.

sponix

[Chris Bacon]

The pile should feel smooth when you pull your palm downwards where the carpet goes over the nose of the tread.

Work it out - measure your steps, and set draw out what you need. You need to know which way the pile lays on the roll. If you don't trust that fitter, get another opinion - perhaps take your measurements to a carpet shop & get them to explain.

[Egremont]

Thats one vote for nap facing up and one for down?. The carpet has a wilton-type pattern plus join(s), which complicates things.

If the nap runs the length of the roll then nap up or down the fitter is right in principle which is fine but I'm looking at 160% waste on a 3x4m roll. A 3m roll or even proper stair carpet would be more efficient, though waste on 3x3m roll is still nearly 100% (next job is to find out how long stair carpet rolls are...).

Egremont.

[Phil]

The carpet fitter is right in one respect - carpet does not bend easily in the direction 90 degrees to that which it is rolled in (try it) - you can force it round and staple it but it will then 'grin' at you on the stair nosing. More to do with the cord weave backing than any 'nap' though.

[Chris Bacon]

If you put it down the wrong way, a) It won't look marvellous, and b) it'll wear out in about 10 minutes.

You don't *have* to do the lot in one run - you can join shorter lengths between the grippers. Don't forget you won't be able to move it up/down as it wears, though.

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[John]

How can you waste 160% of the carpet? That's wasting 60% more than you would buy in the first place, however you buy is 100% so you couldn't possibly waste any more than you start with, or am I missing something? If the carpet pattern allows why not just buy a full width but ony half the length of the stairs and cut it vertically in half and have a join in the angle between the riser and the tread halfway up the stairs?

HTH

John

[Chip]

On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:20:15 GMT,it is alleged that "Egremont" spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

Make that two for facing down, as Chris said, when you drag your hand down over the stair nosing, it should feel smooth. The other direction will 1) look awful due to shading and possibly with your type of carpet show gaps, and 2) wear out in a fraction of the time.

Running the pile direction sideways would just look awful.

As also mentioned, it doesn't have to be in one piece. With expensive carpet we quite often fitted in 2 or 3 stair 'chunks'. If you _have_ the money to spare, one piece with extra folded back underneath is good due to the elsethread mentioned possibility of moving it back and forth to even wear, but this is not _essential_.

[Egremont]

By my estimation carpet used is 4.6m2 of 12m2. Waste is approx 7.4m2, ie 62% of carpet purchased, or 160% of carpet used as I (probably unhelpully) meant to put it before.

Obviously at least one joint will be needed when fitting a 5.75m carpet from

3x4m roll (double entendre unintentional!). I had thought more than 1 or maybe 2 joins would be too much (and the joins will also cost), but perhaps not in which case it might just come out of a shorter length.

Thanks for the info about the correct nap, I'm settled on that now, and I was forgetting that you can easily shift a fitted single length to make it last.

Nothings been purchased yet - now I'm a little wiser I'll probably try to get something else on a 3m roll unless I find a suitable 6-7m stair-roll somewhere.

Thanks,

Egremont.

[Egremont]

... assuming the nap runs the length of the roll, which I suspect but dont really know.

[Rob Morley]

I don't see why you can't lay it in any multiple of one stair (tread + riser) - there will be a gripper rod at the back of each tread and the bottom of each riser anyway. The nap should point out/down so it lies flat on the nose when you step on it.

[Owain]

As others have explained.

The alternative is stair rods and proper stair runner carpet. No waste, and you can easily move it up and down every six months to even out the wear.

Less common domestically nowadays, but commercial carpeters will still do it.

Owain

[John Rumm]

Last time I had a stair carpet fitted they did not carpet more than three steps at a time with a single piece of carpet. Hence even with a wide roll you could use adjacent strips to make fuller use of the carpet.