Tips for choosing the right carpet for your stairs

Trying to choose and pick the perfect carpet for your stairs might seem like a daunting task; not only trying to find the right style and colour, but also durability, thickness and how it looks as it wraps around the edge of the stair and bannisters. There’s also the question of whether your carpet actually needs to be replaced or not: here’s our 8 signs to check if you should replace your carpet.

While there’s a lot more to consider when buying stair carpet, choosing the best carpeting for your stairs is easy once you learn how to spot quality carpeting. First, you’ll want to assess your staircase and the type of carpeting you need.

What type of staircase do you have? 

STRAIGHT STAIRCASE

As the most common staircase type found in homes around the world, when it comes to carpeting the straight staircase, you might want to look at going for something durable and sturdy, such as a plush or Berber carpet. With its loop construction, the Berber carpet has a more textured look and feel that also adds durability, allowing it to withstand a high amount of traffic.

CURVED STAIRCASE

Larger homes sometimes boast a grand curved staircase, and the best choice to emphasise this elegant feature is a Plush carpet. You could even choose to go a step further by making use of a carpet stair runner, as opposed to completely covering the original treads and risers. This way the staircase edges will be exposed and create an interesting and elegant feature.

SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Spiral staircases, are usually installed for space-saving qualities, and therefore choosing carpet for a spiral staircase is very dependant on the width of the staircase. It’s important to take this into consideration, to avoid choosing carpeting that could encourage missteps. Metal or wooden treads are better suited for narrow spiral staircases, whereas the wider, more dramatic spiral staircases can be carpeted just as any other staircase.

STAIRS WITH MULTIPLE LANDINGS

When choosing a carpet for a staircase with multiple landings, one thing to consider is the wear on the landings. The turn in the staircase will mean that foot traffic patterns will wear carpet at the point where people turn to go up the stairs. Selecting a high-quality carpet for this will definitely pay off in the long run.

What about thickness? 

A thicker carpet does not mean it is more durable: in fact, some of the most durable carpets are the thinner varieties, and some of the thickest carpets are just full of air, and squash down over time.

Thickness is important when choosing the suitability of a carpet for stairs. A carpet that is too thick can be a safety hazard, as it wraps around the front edge of the stair and acts as a ramp for your foot, with nothing substantial to support your foot, leading to potential slips and falls.

General consensus suggests the ideal thickness for a stair carpet is a pile height of maximum 1.27cm, with a carpet padding of 1.11cm or less and a pile density rating of at least 3.5kgs.

Choosing the right colour

There are so many different tones and shades when it comes to choosing the right colour carpet for your staircase, but basically it all comes down to the type of flooring above and below your staircase as well as the look and feel of the interior décor of your home. Here are a few handy tips to help you make the right decision.

• The most popular and obvious colour choice is a neutral sandy tone, which is the most easy option as it compliments a variety of other colours.
• If your ceilings are low, pick a carpet colour that is slighter darker, or a few shades darker than the colour of the surrounding walls, to give a feeling of extension in height.
• If you have light, white or cream walls and high ceilings, you can go a bit more adventurous with carpet colour and patterns, as this will complement the surrounding neutral colours and make a real statement.

Don’t forget, you also need to consider the right carpet underlay. We’ve written about this before so check our hints and tips here!

Now that you’re a more familiar with what type of carpet will work best for your staircase, we hope you feel more confident in making the right colour and design choices. And once you do get that new carpet installed, check out our article on quick tips for removing that new carpet smell.

Once your carpet is in, remember we are always here to help if you do have any spillages on your way up or down the stairs and end up with some stains that need professional attention.