If you noticed your staircase to look a bit worn for your dog to go up and down, or a bit slippery for your toddler, then installing stair tread covers on your staircase is the best solution. In today’s market you can find stair tread covers made from a variety of materials, but among the choices, carpet stair tread covers provide the most protective cover without obscuring attractive wood, or any other material your staircase is made of.

Today we will go over the do it yourself guide to install carpet stair treads.

Get the Right Tools

The following tools and supplies are needed to install carpet stair tread covers by hand:

• Measuring tape
• Warm Water, mixed with liquid soap
• Old toothbrush or a soft bristle brush, and soft cloth
• Clean water for light rinse
• Marking tape ( carpenter’s tape ), or erasable sharpie marker pen
• Double sided tape

Cleaning

• Scrub the staircase with a mixture of warm water and liquid soap.
• Use an old toothbrush or a soft bristle brush for scrubbing. Afterwards lightly rinse the scrubbed areas with clean water, and wipe the stairs with a soft cloth. Allow the surfaces to dry thoroughly before proceeding.
• Remove dirt from the surface of the carpet stair treads, using the brush. When the surface is done, flip over and brush the backside of the covers.

Create a Focal Point

A simple definition of focal point is that it is the “thing” your eyes naturally land on. Even though the staircase can have more than one focal point, such as paintings or wall decorations, the stair tread covers will always be the main point where your eyes will naturally land.

To create a solid focal point, make sure the stair tread covers are placed directly in the center or the stair, by following these steps:

• Use a measuring tape to measure the distance between the wall and base on one step, and mark this centerline.
• Find the center of a stair tread and set it on top of the centerline. Center the stair tread 1 to 2 inches behind the front edge of the stair. Ideally, the stair tread cover should be placed with the left and right side, between the edge of the stair tread and wall, having the same distance apart.
• All the markings can be done by using a marking tape ( carpenter’s tape ), or erasable sharpie marker pen.

Installation using Double-Sided Tape

Most carpet stair tread covers will be installed with double-sided tape. In some cases, non-slip variants of carpet stair treads are available; they have adhesive pads at the bottom, and do not need tape to be firmly instanstalled. For such stair tread covers, the instructions are the same, except the placement of the double-sided tape.

• Lay a strip of double-sided tape or adhesive pad along the markings. Once the double-sided tape is in place, you can remove the carpenter’s tape. Place the stair tread cover on the step, and make sure the placement is right where you want it to be.
• Once you are sure of the placement, remove the top facing layer of the double-sided tape, and carefully set the tread down on the tape. Press, and smooth the edges around the tread.
• Repeat the process by tapping each stair tread cover onto the staircase. Ensuring that the carpet stair tread covers all sit squarely on each step, smooth each tread down firmly to make sure they are firmly held in place.
• Leave the newly taped stair treads in place for a few minutes. After a few minutes, your stair tread covers will be firmly placed, and will be safe for foot traffic.