Measure Carpet on Stairs
Measurements for carpeting in standard rooms are obtained simply by multiplying the length and width. However, this formula does not work with irregular areas such as stairs. You must take into account the rise and fall of each step on the staircase when you measure carpet on stairs. Knowing the proper measurement will prevent you from purchasing too much or too little carpet.
Steps
- Measure the rise of 1 of the steps to be carpeted.
- The top of the step that you place your foot on when walking is called the rise.
- Place a measuring tape at the deepest portion of the step. This will be the area where the rise adjoins the fall of the step above it.
- Pull the measuring tape to the very tip of the rise and check the measurement.
- Use the tape measure to obtain the fall of each step.
- The fall is the portion of the stair that connects the rise of 2 adjoining steps.
- Position the tape measure at the edge of the rise and pull it down to the bottom of the fall of the stair where it adjoins the step below it.lol
- Add the measurements of the step's rise and fall together to obtain the total length for each stair.
- Add 2 inches (5.1 cm) to the total to account for waste, padding and carpet cutting.
- Count the number of steps that are exactly the same size as the step that you measured.
- Multiply your total for the length by the number of steps that are exactly the same size.
- Take the measurements of any steps that are a different size from the first one measured.
- Total the measurements from all of the steps. This will be the total length of carpeting that the stairs require.
- Obtain the measurement for width by measuring the widest step on the staircase.
- Put the tape measure at one end of the rise and stretch it across to the other end.
- There is no need to measure additional steps as long as you know the measurement of the widest step.
Tips
- Gather measurements of landings and any other accents that accompany your staircase carpeting.
- Carpet runners are sold in a variety of standard width measurements. You do not have to measure to cover the entire staircase for carpet runners. Simply purchase the width that best fits your stairs.
- Irregular shaped steps, such as in winding stairs, should be measured at their widest point. Extra carpet can be cut away to fit the steps' shape.
Warnings
- Most carpet dealers discuss carpet in terms of yards (meters). Keep in mind that you will likely be taking the measurement of a step's rise and fall in inches (centimeters). This unit will need to be converted when placing an order for carpet.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Calculator (optional)
