A Beginner’s Guide on the Cost of Installing Carpet on Stairs
As one of the most popular types of flooring available, carpeting is becoming increasingly popular. You have a variety of colours, materials, patterns, and textures to choose from, and it feels comfortable underfoot, too. It is a good idea to consider installing carpeting on the stairs if you have existing carpeting elsewhere in your home. As you can see, several factors affect the costs of your stair carpeting project. These include carpet material and texture, stair length, and whether or not the stairs have spindles. Before installing the carpet, it is essential to know the cost of the carpet and how much to carpet stairs are needed. Read the article to the end and get to know all the factors affecting the cost to carpet stairs.
Why You Need Carpet For stairs
You may see people talking about carpeting their stairs, and you wonder when to add carpet to your stairs. There could be multiple reasons to add carpet to stairs. One of which could be to add beauty to the house or to renovate your house. The carpet looks good on the floor, especially on a bad one. In addition, if the flooring is in bad condition or has been ripped, people also then go for carpeting their stairs.
What Does Carpet Cost?
The price of a carpet depends upon various factors discussed later in this article; however, if we talk about an estimate of the installation of a carpet, it could vary from £120 to £150 per day or £600 to £1200 in total. Yes! You have heard it right. It can take days depending upon the type of stairs and factors influencing the fitting and installation of carpet.
Factors Affecting the Carpet Installation Cost
Type of Carpet
Your concern about how much to carpet stairs depends not only on the carpet, and many other factors influence it too. The type of fabric, design, quality, and life determine the cost to carpet stairs. If you opt for a luxury carpet, it will cost more than a simple carpet. Synthetic carpets are more likely to be cheaper than the original, like wool.
| Type of Carpet | Cost per m2 |
| Basic | £13 |
| Average | £28 |
| Luxury | £50 |
Size of Stairs
The price of carpet is affected by the area. We buy rugs according to the square meter. The more the site, the more will be the cost of the carpet. If the staircase has many changes in direction, this will increase the price.
Carpet or a Runner
A carpet is a piece of floor covering the whole area, whereas a runner is a relatively small carpet used to cover a specific area. A runner is usually smaller in size; thus, it will cost less than the carpet. A runner-type carpet is ideal for those with beautiful wood stairs since you don’t want them to be covered entirely.
Labour Cost
In the case of carpet installation, labour costs are estimated to be £3.50 per meter squared. Usually, that cost does not include tearing up the old flooring and fixing the subfloor. Some projects, such as stairs, require more expertise and can cost an additional £35 per square meter if they need more extraordinary expertise.If you are looking for Home renovation expert you can choose from a team of expert home renovators.
Condition of Stairs
An additional cost would typically not be incurred by stairs that are well maintained or in good condition. The opposite is true for stairs that have an issue like those that are creaking or are damaged, such as ones that have to be repaired before we can proceed, therefore requiring additional costs.
Floor Fixing
It’s essential to understand the steps involved in determining how much labour will cost to install a new carpet. Standard plywood is commonly used as the sublayment in most homes. If it is deemed that the old plywood needs to be replaced, it will be necessary to remove the old pieces before installing the new ones. The cost of adjusting a staircase is approximately £35 to £45 per staircase, so the cost of levelling the floors will be about £12 per square meter downstairs and a bit more upstairs.
Delivery Cost
If you decide to pick up the carpet yourself, you’re unlikely to get it delivered for free. Loading and unloading carpet is time-consuming, and it could be another £30 or more depending on where you bought it.
Choosing the Carpet Material
Choosing the carpet according to your needs is the foremost important thing. Following are some materials you may choose for your stairs.
Wool Carpet
Among all-natural fibres, wool is the best for making carpets. It is not only an excellent insulating material, but it is also resistant to fraying and crushing. Wool’s major disadvantage is that it can develop mould due to absorbing moisture if installed in damp environments, and wool’s natural fibre will also fade over time. Wool carpet price typically ranges from £5 to £26 per square foot but can also go beyond £30.
Polyester
Polyester stair carpet costs about £5 per square meter. Textiles made from recycled polyester are an option for carpeting. With a soft texture and an affordable price, it holds colour well. In addition, polyester is highly resistant to liquid stains. Consider this before selecting polyester carpeting for stairs because polyester is generally less durable than other materials.
Nylon
Stair carpeting made from nylon costs around £8 to £85 per square yard. Nylon fibre is one of the most durable and popular options for carpets. Compression doesn’t harm its fibres, making it ideal for high-traffic areas. Nylon is absorbent so that it can trap spills and stains. However, nylon carpets can be treated to resist stains. Since nylon tends to crush less than synthetic fibres, it is famous for stairs.
Loop Pile
High-traffic areas of homes and commercial establishments are more likely to have this type of carpet. The carpeting is made of yarn that has not been cut. In addition to being durable, these loops are also resistant to being imprinted. A loop pile carpet price ranges from £1 to $5 per square foot.
Installing Carpet Yourself
Setting up carpet yourself will be more effective in terms of cost. Your ambiguity about “how much to carpet stairs” will be reduced. You will only have to spend money on the carpet and specific materials to install it, and the labour cost will be excluded leading to a significant saving. You will require some tools to install the carpet yourself like:
Ruler
you will use it to mark the carpet according to the size of the stairs. It is recommended to use a long meter rule made of wood or metal.
Blade
Blades are an essential part of installing a carpet. You will need blades to cut the carpet according to the size of the staircase. However, a carpet makes the blade blunt in a blink of an eye; thus, it is recommended to have some extra blades.
Tucker
You will need a tucker to tuck the carpet in the right place.
Carpet gripper
A carpet gripper is an essential tool because it will hold the carpet in its place.
Staple gun
you will need a staple gun to fix the carpet in a place.
Hammer
you may require a hammer to set the carpet in a particular shape.
Steps to Install the Carpet
Cut the Carpet
First of all, you will need to cut the carpet according to the type of stairs. You can do it by first measuring the stairs and then marking the length and width of the carpet.
Start from the Bottom
Once you are done cutting the carpet to fit the stair size, you will need to start lying it down. It is highly recommended to start laying the carpet from the bottom. Utilize your stretching tool to keep the carpet smooth over time by pulling it up the step. Tuck the carpet into gaps as necessary by using the carpet tucker.
Tack the Carpet
You will want to apply carpet tacks at the top of the staircase and trim off the excess material at the bottom. You should also make sure the carpet grippers are firmly attached to the carpet.
Remove the Excess
Once the carpet has been laid, you will have to remove the excess part of the carpet. This step is necessary to avoid any mishaps that could have happened due to extra carpet pieces.
Bottom Line
The best way to estimate how much to carpet stairs of your house is to measure the space. You can make an educated guess even if you cannot get exact measurements yet, and however, it can be risky.
Next, decide what you’re willing to spend. The average cost to carpet stairs ranges from £3 to £40 per square metre, depending on whether the room is semi-luxurious or low-budget. A carpet is generally expected to last for five to ten years. Foot traffic in the area and the quality of the carpet will determine the amount of wear on the carpet. While measuring stairs for carpet installation, keep track of the number of stairs. You should then measure the tread and riser widths and the stair widths.
