French Cap Carpet Stairs

There are two methods of installing carpet on the stair.

French cap carpet stairs.

Waterfall or french cap. This is known as waterfall installation. The french cap method. This method is the easiest fastest and most common way to install carpet on stairs.

This is in contrast to the more modern waterfall technique of simply cutting a length of carpet that will cover all the stairs and rolling it out. It is the optimal method for thick carpet because the thicker the carpet the more difficult it is to wrap around the edge of the tread. French cap is a term used to describe stairs that have a edge that curves under on the rise of the stairs. Installing carpet on stairs can be tricky especially when there is a bullnose on the treads that extends beyond the riser.

The easiest and most common installation technique is simply to stretch the carpet over the bullnose and straight down to the next step. Cap and band and waterfall are the most common methods of installing carpet on stairs. Unlike the waterfall method that uses a single piece of carpet the cap and band uses individual pieces for each step combining the horizontal tread or cap with the vertical riser or band. I opted for the french cap method which offers a more tailored look.

The most secure anchors for carpet top and bottom staples also hold padding tightly to stair treads. The waterfall method involves simply bending the carpet over the edge of the stair and bringing it straight down to meet the tread of the next step. The cap and band carpeting method is a professional technique to install a stair carpet in sections. The french cap method wraps the carpet around the edge of the tread contouring the nosing to meet the riser then coming straight down the riser.

Capping and banding refers to each step being covered in individual pieces of carpet rather then one piece stretched and fitting to the entire stair structure. Installation of carpet on stairs. Start at the bottom of the staircase and work your way up unless the more difficult steps are at the bottom.