The Handyman's Pocket Book: Laying A Stair Carpet.

If you examine a stair carpet you will find that the pile leans in a definite direction.  You can detect this by drawing the hand along it: in one direction it is smooth; in the other, rough.  It should be laid with the pile pointing downward as shown in Fig. 1, A.  Unless this is done the feet tend to push against the pile and roughen it.

FELT.  Felt beneath the carpet is always worth its cost as it reduces wear considerably.  There is no need for it to run continuously form top to bottom - in fact it is better to avoid it on the risers as it makes too much thickness at the bends where it would have to be folded.  All that is needed is a strip to each tread, wide enough to reach from the back and to run over at the nose at the front as in Fig. 1, B.  At the edges it should stand in about 0.5 in. at each side.

CARPET.  Begin at the top, fixing it down temporarily with three tacks.  There should be enough spare on the landing at the top so that the carpet can be moved down later when wear becomes apparent at the nose.  In its lifetime the carpet may be moved perhaps three times so that the wear is equalised.

In the average staircase there may be eight or nine steps at the bottom, followed by three winders, with three or four straight steps above.  The chief problem occurs at the winders, and the proper way is to work these from the bottom one upwards.  However, for a start work down the three or four straight steps at the top, putting in the rods as you go, and taking care to keep the carpet straight and centra.  You have now to see the total length of carpet needed for the winders and you do this by counting downwards.

Take the carpet straight across the top winder so that when it reaches the nose it is central.  This will cause a fold to appear at the narrow side.  Ignore this for the time being, fixing a rod at the back, and allowing the fold to hang loosely.  Carry on to the next winder in the same way, and so on until the straight flight is reached.  You can then carry on right to the bottom.  This puts the carpet in the right position, leaving the winders to be dealt with, and it is now that you begin to work from the bottom winder upwards.

WINDERS.  Owing to the fold at the narrow side there is bound to be a crease in the carpet, but if this crease is made to line up with the rod it will be almost unnoticeable.  Fig. 2 shows how to arrange the winders.  Begin at the bottom one, pulling the carpet taut across the tread.  Pass it up the riser to immediately beneath the nose, and form a fold which lines up with the stair rod as at A, Fig. 2.  At the wide side, of course, the fold will run out to nothing.  Knock in three long tacks at the bottom of the fold.

Pass to the next winder and repeat the operation as at B.  When the top winder is reached there will most likely be a small surplus at the narrow side, and this can be folded in the same way (C).  Secure with a couple of tacks before putting in the rods.

Once again, remember that the preliminary work, which is chiefly that of getting the carpet into the right position, if from top downwards, but the final fixing at the winders is from the bottom one upwards.

EQUALIZING WEAR.  A carpet should never be turned top to bottom for the reason already given.  The better plan is to shift it about 1 in. or 1.5 in. downwards every year.  In this way a fresh piece of carpet is at the nose with every move.