Stair runners and rugs · West Chester, PA
Boyle’s Floor & Window Designs makes custom stair runners and area rugs from any carpet in its West Chester, PA showroom, binds or serges the edges to your measurements, and installs them with its own crews. Most straight staircases are finished in a day.
Made to measure
The prettiest hardwood staircase in Chester County is also the loudest, the slipperiest, and the first surface in the house to show wear. A stair runner fixes all three while leaving the wood visible on either side. A bound area rug does the same for a hardwood living room: warmth, quiet, and a defined space, in exactly the size the room needs rather than the sizes a catalog offers.
Any carpet in the showroom can become a runner or rug, including the Stanton, Karastan, Nourison, and Masland lines people ask for by name. It is one of the most requested services we offer and one of the least advertised, which is why this page exists.
Stair runners
A stair runner is a strip of carpet, most often about 27 inches wide with wider options around 31 to 32 inches, installed down the center of the treads with wood showing on both sides. It protects the finish from a decade of footsteps, muffles the sound of a family coming down for breakfast, and gives kids, older relatives, and dogs traction that bare wood does not.
Durability comes first, because stairs concentrate wear on the nose of every tread. Dense nylon, triexta, or wool in a low, tight pile holds up best. Patterned runners hide wear and soil and have come back into style; solid textures read quieter and more modern. Width should leave three to four inches of wood on each side, though wider stairs can carry a wider runner.
A new runner draws the eye to the wood and paint on either side of it. Our painter can touch up the risers, spindles, and stringers so the whole staircase looks as fresh as the runner. If the treads themselves are worn, our refinishing crews can restore them first.
Installation style
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Waterfall | Hollywood (wrapped) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is installed | Carpet flows over the nose of each tread and straight down the riser | Carpet is tucked tight under the nose and fastened to the riser |
| Look | Traditional and relaxed | Tailored, shows the shape of each step |
| Best with | Thicker carpets and patterns that should not bend sharply | Thinner, tightly woven carpets and stripes |
| Padding | Installed over pad | Installed over pad |
Both are secured so they never shift.
Runner or wall to wall
A runner keeps the hardwood visible and protects only the walking path. Full carpet covers the stair edge to edge, which suits stairs with worn or unfinished treads and households that want the most cushion. We install both, and we will show you how each carpet behaves on the nose of a step before you choose.
Rugs
Any broadloom carpet can become an area rug. We cut it to your dimensions, then finish the edges by binding with a fabric tape that matches or contrasts, or by serging with a wrapped yarn edge for a softer look. Wide-border and mitered-corner options are available for a more formal rug. This is how you get a rug that fits the room exactly, in the same carpet as the adjoining bedroom or hall, at a price that usually undercuts a comparable finished rug.
Common requests include a rug sized to the dining table with chairs pulled out, a bedroom rug that runs under the bed and out both sides, a hallway runner in a non-standard length, and a rug to match stair runner carpet.
A rug pad keeps a rug from sliding, protects hardwood from the rug’s backing, and adds cushion and life to the rug itself. Felt-and-rubber pads suit hard floors; thin, dense pads suit rugs placed over carpet. We cut pads to the rug and include them in the quote. Skip rubber-only pads on hardwood, since some discolor the finish over time.
Vacuum regularly, using a suction-only setting on fringe and bound edges. Rotate rugs once or twice a year to even out wear and sun fading. Blot spills from the outside in with a white cloth. Have wool and other natural-fiber rugs professionally cleaned rather than home-shampooed. Runners on stairs take the most wear; a professional cleaning every year or two keeps them looking right.
Questions
Boyle's Floor & Window Designs, at 705 East Gay Street in West Chester, cuts, binds, and installs stair runners with its own crews across Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.
It depends on the carpet you choose, the number of steps, landings, and turns, and the installation style. We measure the staircase and quote an itemized price, so the number you get is the number you pay.
Most straight staircases are finished in a day. Staircases with landings, curves, or pie-shaped steps take longer because each piece is cut and fitted individually.
Often, yes. If the carpet is a current line we can order it; if it is discontinued we will find the closest match and show you the difference before you commit.
Properly installed runners protect the treads. Removal leaves small fastener holes that are easily filled. The wood under a runner is typically in far better shape than the exposed wood beside it.
Nearly any broadloom carpet can be bound or serged. Very thick or loosely constructed carpets bind less cleanly, and we will tell you which those are.
Brands
Free in-home visit
Bring a photo of your staircase or the room, or have a design representative come out and measure. We will help you choose a carpet that suits the traffic and the look, then cut, bind, and install it. Call (610) 429-9773 or schedule a free in-home visit.
Keep exploring
Carpet · Hardwood refinishing · Flooring guide · Area rug gallery · How shop at home works · Financing
