How Much Space Allowance Should a Stair Runner Have on Each Side? 

So you're thinking of putting in a Stair Runner Either on your Stairs or in your Hallway! And you're not sure how much space you should leave on each side Right!

Well, there are different Schools of thought on this Monumental decision! 

Are your Old Stairs all Marked up?

First things first, are you trying to cover up old looking areas such as scratched or marked up wood floors or the wood stairs? Then covering up more is beneficial! So then 2 to 3 inch perimeter on each side will do the job just fine!

 They are Brand New Hardwood Stairs

On the Flipside of this coin so to speak, you have just re-done your stairs or hallway, or its a new build and wood looks beautiful!

 You love it and don't want to cover it up, but they are slippery and unsafe so yup!

You are going to put a Carpet Runner in.

From a Design Point of View and Installation Point of View! 4 to 6 inches on each side will do the trick! 

You want to see the beautiful wood, but you also need to have enough width to walk up and down comfortably!

Talk to your design Expert or Carpet Installer to see what they think from a professional point of view!

Just for Reference The Most Popular sized carpet runners Sold on directcarpet.com are 26 inches wide and the most popular by far is 28 inches wide

Keith Shannon is the Owner of Directcarpet.com and a Professional Installer for over 25 Years