Stairs are where carpet choice most often goes wrong, and where fitting quality shows most clearly. A carpet that looks fine across a bedroom floor can wear badly on a staircase within a couple of years, and a poorly fitted stair carpet is obvious from the bottom step.
Why stairs take longer than you would expect
Stairs and landing typically takes three to four hours to fit, which is longer than most lounges despite covering less floor area. Every tread and riser is measured, cut and fitted individually. On a winder or a turn, each shaped tread is a separate piece of work.
There is no shortcut. A team rushing stairs produces visible seams, loose nosings and a carpet that lifts at the edges within months.
Choosing a carpet that survives stairs
Stairs take more punishment than any other part of a house. The nosing, the front edge of each tread, takes the whole load of every footstep and it is where wear appears first.
Twist pile generally handles stairs better than a loop, because a snagged loop on a staircase runs and shows. Wool-rich blends recover better from crushing than synthetics of the same weight. A heavier carpet is not automatically better on stairs: what matters is density and how the pile is constructed.
Patterned carpet on stairs needs thinking about. A pattern has to be matched across every tread, which uses more material and takes longer to fit. It can look superb. It is not the cheap option.
Underlay matters more on stairs than anywhere
It is tempting to economise on underlay because nobody sees it. On stairs that is a false saving. Underlay absorbs the impact that would otherwise go straight into the carpet backing at the nosing, and a good one measurably extends the life of the carpet.
Fitting a stair carpet properly
Grippers need to be set at the correct distance at both the back of the tread and the base of the riser, so the carpet sits tight into the angle. Too far out and you get a gap; too close and the carpet will not tension properly.
On a straight flight, the carpet can sometimes be laid in one length, which is preferable to joining. On turns and winders, each piece is cut to the shape of the tread and fitted individually.
This is the part of the job where using fitters who do it regularly genuinely matters. Our teams are employed by us rather than subcontracted, so the same people fit stairs week in week out.
Seeing it before you decide
Our Wollaton showroom has a dedicated stair display, which is the single most useful thing to look at if you are doing hallway, stairs and landing together. A carpet behaves differently over a nosing than it does flat on a floor, and a sample board will not show you that.
You can also see the ranges at Netherfield, Duffield and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. For what fitting involves and what it costs, see our carpet fitting page and cost guide.