Con: they can be harder to clean
While wooden stairs can be cleaned, mopped and wiped up easily enough, it’s not as easy to remove the dirt from carpeted stairs. Whether it’s muck from shoes, cotton from socks, hair from our furry friends or even sweat from bare feet, carpet fibres will collect this grime.
That said, it is still easy enough. It’s important to try to vacuum regularly. You can also use a carpet cleaner – or simply good old elbow grease – to get it looking and smelling all nice and new again.
Con: the steps will be slightly shorter
If you have shorter steps on your staircase, you might want to think whether carpeting is right for you. A good carpet could lessen the step area by up to two inches.
Choosing the right carpet
So, you’ve made your mind up to carpet your stairs. But what type of carpet do you choose?
It all depends on the type of home you have and the kind of environment it is. Is it a family home with plenty of little feet running up and down? Do you have pets likely to shed lots of fur?
Wool is popular as it doesn’t flatten easily but can be fairly expensive. Materials like nylon or polypropylene can be more cost effective. Try to avoid materials like polyester which can be quite slippery.
Thick, looped carpets can be nice to feel but can be dangerous to pets. Having a thick carpet doesn’t necessarily mean it’s strong either. The shorter the pile height, the more durable it often is.
Given the amount of traffic your stairs see, make sure you choose a good underlay and a hard-wearing carpet.
Why not consider half and half?
If you don’t want to carpet the whole of your stairs, you could just cover the central part – leaving the wider parts still as the protected material. You’ll get the best of both worlds with stair runners, but you may have to double up on the cleaning and maintenance.
