How To Install Carpet On Stairs

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There are basically two methods of installing carpet on stairs. One is the waterfall method where one piece of carpet covers each riser and tread. The other is the cap and band installation. In this case the cap is a piece of carpet installed over the treads and the band is the piece that will cover the risers. In this article I will show you how to install carpet using the waterfall method. These instructions are for basic stairs and not for spiral stairs which would require additional procedures.

Tools Needed:

Tack strips Staples or upholstery nails Measuring Tape Knee Pads Knee kicker (check your rental store) Stair Tool (check your rental store) Utility knife Hammer Safety glasses

Obviously you’ll need to remove all the old carpet. Get rid of the tack strips and don’t try to use the old padding. Make sure any nails and staples are removed and sweep down the area to be carpeted.

Before you get started you’re going to have to figure out how much carpet you’ll need. To calculate the width simply measure across the tread. If your stairs are open on one or both ends make sure to measure under the nosing to where it meets the riser and add it to the total width. Figure the total length of your flight of stairs by measuring the tread and riser. Assuming your going to use carpet pad make sure to add at least 3 inches per stair. If your steps have nosing add one foot to the total flight measurement.

Okay, let’s get started. Apply the tack strip to the stair crotch location. Next you’ll need to tighten the carpet by tucking in the crotch. You can do this by using a knee kicker. It is a tool used to install carpet in small areas and stairs. It consists of a piece of metal tubing with a pin plate attached to it. On the other end it has a padded cushion where you can position your knee to apply pressure to the carpet. You should be able to find one at your local rental store. Simply place the padded end several inches above your knee and add pressure.   This is where you will use the knee kicker:

To attach to the tack strip you need to use the knee kicker to stretch the carpet straight from the center of the tread and hook it to the tack strip located at the crotch. Once the carpet has been hooked to the tack strip you need to firmly attach it by sliding your carpet tool back and forth to compress the pins. Using your utility knife or carpet knife trim as needed. A carpet knife is better as it has two sides and is sharper than a utility knife. Repeat this process on each side of the tread. Before going to the next tread make sure the carpet is smoothed out on the riser and then staple to the stair lip. I would recommend you staple about every 2 inches. Don’t forget to also staple along the edge of the riser.

Make sure to step back and take a look at your work before going on to the next tread. Is the carpet smooth? Did you kick it in evenly? It is also a good time to give your knees and back a rest. If everything looks good the continue onto the next tread. If not you’ll have to pull the carpet off and install it again. Repeat this process until you are finished.

Once finished stand back and admire your work and give yourself a pat on the back. You now have a beautiful looking staircase.

Jerry Holt is a writer for the website Do It Yourself Today. Please go to www.diytoday.net for do it yourself home improvement and carpet tips and advice.

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Selling Real Estate Through Lease Options

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If you’ve been properly trained as a real estate investor and have ventured into the area, you should be aware by now that the majority of your buyers are not going to come to you with readily available financing and are looking for alternatives to traditional mortgage loans. Unfortunately, most so-called real estate investors have not taken the time to prepare and receive training in the field and expect all potential buyers to arrive with down payments, golden credit, and a mortgage lender ready to supply funding.

Only a small portion of buyers qualifies for traditional lending opportunities, and most are looking to fulfill the American dream and become a homeowner through some alternative method. As a savvy investor, you can offer this to a number of individuals who may be looking for your help in the matter with something called a lease purchase option. This type of funding allows potential buyers a bit of relief in terms of providing down payments and credit in order to obtain a home.

Here’s how it works. A buyer comes to you with bad or no credit but has a sum of money. The buyer can also maintain payments on the home for an undetermined period of time. You take the sum of money available and apply it to a “down payment” toward the purchase of the real estate in question. Then, you sign an agreement with your new tenant that is similar to a lease but also helps the individual build equity toward the home. Once the tenant has cleaned up his or her credit history, they can obtain a traditional mortgage loan and purchase the real estate from you or work out a seller financing agreement with you.

This benefits both of you, since you are accruing profit from the payments but also allowing another individual who has no other recourse the opportunity to fulfill a dream, become a homeowner, and build some equity into the real estate property. You’ve managed to accomplish the maintenance of income, sell your property, and assist someone in making a purchase. The tenant buyer should also be responsible for 100% of all repair costs as a condition of their option to purchase.

Another great thing about lease purchase options is that you make more off the deal. You can increase the price of the real estate and still find a buyer, and because you are retaining a portion of the payments each month for your own income, you are making an additional profit based on the buyer’s need to finance the home in a non-traditional fashion. Either way, the use of a lease purchase option is a win-win situation for all involved, getting you out of a property at an excellent profit margin while getting an aspiring homeowner into it.

For additional information on real estate investing and the hot foreclosure market, I recommend joining Ron LeGrand’s Millionaire Maker Newsletter The newsletter itself is loaded with great tips and resources, and he’s usually giving away something free like a CD or something that generally has a lot of great information on it.

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