Carpet Runners

Carpet runners are an attractive floor covering for areas that may experience a large amount of foot traffic. While in the past a carpet runner was thought to be little more than a narrow strip of rug that would be placed on top of the carpet in question, with time there have come to be a large number of variations on the theme. Yet not each of the carpet runners available is a good investment.

For example, the red carpet runner that can be seen during the Academy Awards is usually a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting. It is not a good idea to place this on top of a high quality carpet simply because the different textures will wear differently and the coarser indoor/outdoor runner may actually damage a good quality carpet. On the other hand, a commercial carpet runner is often little more than a heavy top rug where the underside is made from non-penetrable plastic. The goal is to keep wetness away from the carpet. For businesses this is a good idea, since many subscribe to a professional carpet cleaning and exchange service that will take replace and clean soiled carpet runners every other day.

A stair runner carpet can be a good idea, if it is secured properly. If there is too much give, the odds are good that you will be in danger of sliding as you are walking down the stairs. Furthermore, a carpet stair runner may dislodge carpeting on the stairs that is not properly secured in the first place. Plastic carpet runners are actually somewhat unsightly, and are usually only a short term solution for homeowners who use them during the rainy season or during heavy snowfalls.

Brown vinyl carpet runners have sometimes been used by homeowners who needed something outside to keep a concrete walkway looking good. They are a bad investment since they trap moisture underneath, thus causing active slip and fall hazards. Commercial carpet runners for such areas would be a better idea. By the way, when looking for carpet runners for stairs, stay away from the clear plastic variety, since carpet stair runners made from this material are extremely slippery.

If you have hardwood stairs, and carpet runner padding appropriate for this material, then you might be able to find some wonderful carpet runners that will greatly accentuate the wood and also quiet down the ascent and descent. Fabric carpet runners placed on stairs will always do a better job at noise reduction than a plastic carpet runner placed on the same set of stairs.