Best carpet for stairs and hallways: pile, backing, colour and measuring

Stairs are the hardest-working floor in the house. Every footstep lands on the same few centimetres of each tread, feet twist on the turn, and the nosing takes the scuff of every heel. A carpet that lasts fifteen years in a bedroom lasts four on stairs if it is the wrong one. This guide covers pile, backing, colour and underlay for stairs and hallways, and how to measure a staircase so you order the right piece.

The short answer

An 11mm action-backed twist pile in a mid-tone colour, laid over 8mm underlay by someone who has fitted stairs before. Twist because the tightly wound yarn springs back where a Saxony flattens; action backing because it grips the tread and does not stretch; mid grey, taupe or biscuit because the wear line down the middle shows least. Our 11mm twist at £10 per m² is made for exactly this.

Pile: twist, not Saxony

Saxony carpet has a longer, softer, less tightly twisted yarn. It feels lovely in a bedroom and it is the wrong carpet for stairs: the pile flattens on the tread, shades where it is bent over the nosing, and shows a track within months. A twist pile has each strand wound tight and heat-set, so it stands back up after every step. Loop pile also wears well but catches on pet claws and cannot be bent over a nosing without the loops opening. For a family staircase, twist wins on all three counts. Our twist or Saxony guide goes deeper.

Backing: action, not felt

Felt-backed carpet has a soft backing that is easy to lay in a room and cheap. On stairs it stretches over time, creeps at the nosings and can lift at the edges. Action backing (a woven polypropylene) is stiffer, holds its shape when it is pulled over gripper, and stays put. Every carpet we recommend for stairs is action backed. Our backing guide explains the difference.

Colour: mid-tone, slightly flecked

Stairs wear in a stripe down the centre. Pale carpet shows it as grey; dark carpet shows it as pale. Mid tones hide it longest, and a heathered or lightly flecked twist hides it better than a flat colour. From our ranges: steel grey, taupe, biscuit and pewter. If the hall is carpeted in the same colour there is no join to see at the bottom step.

Underlay is not optional here

Underlay under stair carpet roughly doubles its life. It cushions the impact that would otherwise crush the pile, it stops the backing abrading on the tread, and it quietens the stairs for whoever sleeps nearest them. Use 8mm; thicker underlay makes the carpet hard to fit tightly round the nosing. Our 8mm roll covers 15m², which is a staircase and a landing.

How to measure a staircase

1. Measure one tread from the back of the step to the front edge, then down the riser to the next tread. Add them: on a standard UK stair that is about 250mm plus 200mm, so 450mm per step.
2. Count the steps and multiply. Thirteen steps at 450mm is 5.85m. Add 300mm for the top nosing and tucking: 6.15m.
3. Measure the stair width. Most are 800 to 900mm. Add 100mm for turning in at each side if the stairs are open, or the exact width plus 50mm if they are between walls.
4. Winders (the triangular steps on a turn) are measured individually at their widest and longest points and cut separately.
5. Order a piece that the runners can be cut from. For a straight 13-step stair that is a 4m by 1m strip and a second 2.5m by 1m strip, or a single piece 4m wide by 1.6m long cut into runners. The calculator handles it if you enter the stair as 6.2m by 0.9m.

If in doubt, order 10% more. A short piece on a staircase cannot be hidden.

Fitting

Stairs are the one carpet job we suggest paying a fitter for. Room carpet forgives a loose stretch; stairs do not, and a badly fitted stair carpet is a trip hazard. A fitter charges £40 to £80 for a straight flight. Ask for the carpet to be laid with the pile running down the stairs, so it brushes smooth when you walk down and does not shade.

Hallways

The same rules apply, plus one: hallways take dirt from outside. Choose a colour that hides grit at the door, put a proper barrier mat inside the door, and vacuum the first metre more than the rest. A hall and stairs carpeted together in one twist looks bigger and wears evenly.

What it costs

A 13-step staircase and small landing in 11mm twist: about £100 of carpet, £50 of underlay, £70 to £90 fitting. Roughly £240 finished. Order free samples first and put one on the bottom step for a day; it is the step that gets the most light and the most feet.