A stair rod, also commonly referred to as a carpet rod, is an ornamental decorative hardware item used to hold carpeting in place on steps. (Such long but narrow strips of carpeting are known as carpet runners or stair runners or stair carpet). Traditionally, stair rods were used to hold a carpet runner in place on stairs, but with superior carpet installation techniques and more rigid safety standards today, stair rods serve primarily a decorative purpose. Stair rods are however still an integral part of many installation techniques.
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"It's raining stair rods". Thought to have its origins in the optical illusion of large, driving (wind blown) raindrops appearing to greatly elongate.
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A decorative finial end is commonly attached or integrated into the ends of the bar or attached to the outside of the brackets to give a more decorative and less industrial look. Materials used in stair rods can be steel, iron, wood, aluminum, or brass. Today brass and brass-plated stair rods are generally considered to strike a perfect balance between strength, appearance, and value. It is sometimes used as a metaphor for heavy rain, e.g.
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Staircase with a stair carpet, held with brass stair rods. A stair carpet is a linear carpet or rug, that runs up/down on interior staircases usually, and occasionally on exterior stairways.
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The left wing also contained a staircase with iron stair rods, three small rooms, another room, and another attic. The central body contained a double-height (i.e. filling the ground and first floors) great hall and four other rooms.
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A stair carpet may be held in place and fixed to the staircase by means of carpet tacks or a floor adhesive; and/or stair rods used at the base of the risers. It is important that it is fixed securely to avoid accidental trips and slips.
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Since the 19th and 20th century, where necessary for wall-to-wall carpet, different widths of carpet can be seamed together with a seaming iron and seam tape (formerly it was sewn together) and fixed to a floor over a cushioned underlay (pad) using nails, tack strips (known in the UK as gripper rods), adhesives, or occasionally decorative metal stair rods. Wall-to-wall carpet is distinguished from rugs or mats, which are loose-laid floor coverings, as wall-to-wall carpet is fixed to the floor and covers a much larger area.
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They hide dimples in the carpet runner caused by installation staples or nail heads and they are also often required to conceal a pattern mismatch when the carpet runner is cut during installation at each step where the tread meets the riser. Stair rods consists of a long bar, either solid core or tube (hollow core), and brackets used to hold the bar in place. The brackets are installed on either side the carpet runner directly on the wood of the step. The brackets hold the bar that lies across the carpet runner firmly in place.
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Macro shot of a Berber-style carpet. Berber-style carpets feature two sizes of tufts of varying colors in a loop pile construction Carpet is commonly made in widths of and in the US, 4 m and 5 m in Europe. Where necessary different widths can be seamed together with a seaming iron and seam tape (formerly it was sewn together) and it is fixed to a floor over a cushioned underlay (pad) using nails, tack strips (known in the UK as gripper rods), adhesives, or occasionally decorative metal stair rods, thus distinguishing it from rugs or mats, which are loose-laid floor coverings. For environmental reasons, the use of wool, natural bindings, natural padding, and formaldehyde-free glues is becoming more common.
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