How to measure stairs and landing for carpet
Measuring stairs can be more challenging than measuring a room due to their unique design. Accurate measurements are essential to ensure the safety and functionality of your staircase. With our helpful tips and expert guidance, we can help make measuring your stairs a stress-free process.
To get started, make sure you have the following items ready:
• Tape measure
• Pen or pencil
• Ruler
If feasible, we suggest that this task be carried out by two individuals.
Here are some important things to keep in mind while measuring stairs for carpeting:.
- Carefully measure the whole area, from the landing, work down the stairs to the hallway, and keep detailed notes as you measure.
- It is important to record the exact measurements without adding any allowances or extra centimetres, as these can be added later.
- Measure the width and depth of the doorways of your landing and hallway.
- Make sure to measure any drop backs or alcoves on the landing and hallway.
- Each curved stair must be measured individually as they may differ slightly.
- Measure the distance between walls across the landing and hallway, accounting for non-parallel walls.
- To help with your project, take photos of your stairs, hallway, and landing, ensuring the photos are clear and show the entire area.
If you follow these steps, your plan should include a sketch of the landing, measurements of each stair, and a sketch of the hallway.
Measuring The Landing.
The part of the stairs that you place your foot on is called a ‘tread’. The edge of the step is called the ‘nose’. The vertical part is called a ‘riser’.
- To start, draw a floor plan of your landing and hallway. Mark where the stairs come down from the landing with an arrow. It’s vital to include this information in the plan to ensure that the carpet pile goes in the right direction. Measure the landing as you would a normal room, remembering to go into any doorways.
- When creating a landing plan, it's vital to measure the top stair and include it in the calculations. Begin measuring from the opposite wall or doorway of the top step and run the tape measure over the nose of the top stair and down to the tread. This must be done in one measurement to ensure the carpet runs down the top stair as one piece without any joins, and that all stairs follow the same direction.
Measuring the stairs..
- Begin measuring the remaining part of the staircase. First, create a list that distinguishes between straight and curved stairs. You will have to measure each curved stair individually as they will all differ in size. Remember to be precise with your measurements and record them accurately on your plan!
- When measuring straight stairs, it is important to take accurate measurements. Start by measuring from the back of the top of the riser, where it meets the previous step. Then, measure over the nose (edge of the step), and down to the back of the next tread where it meets the next step. This will give you an accurate measurement of the length of the stairs. Don't forget to also measure the width of the stairs and note both measurements down on your plan for future reference.
Measuring A Hallway.
The last step is to measure the hallway. Begin by drawing a floor plan of your hallway, then measure the hallway in the same way you would measure a room, remembering to go into all doorways, alcoves and drop backs. Remember, take a few measurements from wall to wall as some walls are not parallel.
First, start by drawing a floor plan of the hallway. Then, measure the hallway like you would measure a room, making sure to go through all doorways, alcoves, and drop backs. Remember to measure a few times from wall to wall as some walls may not be parallel. This will help you get accurate measurements. When all measurements have been taken, draw an arrow on your floor plan showing where the stairs enter the hallway. This is important for pile direction.
