I'm installing stair runners on two different (standard) flights of wood stairs.

My first question is how wide and how long should the staple be? Should I be getting a "Crown" staple? Both runners will use "rug pad gripper" as underlayment. It's that common stretchy rubbery material used to prevent rugs from slipping, sometimes called "non-slip". It's maybe 1/16" thick.

One runner uses carpet that's about 3/8" thick. How wide and long of a staple should I use?

The other runner is only 3/16" thick. Same question for width and length.

Last question is please recommend an electric stapler I can purchase for the job. After doing these two flights of stairs, I doubt I'll use the tool very much so I don't need to spend extra money getting something "professional" grade. Going from the HT guides I've read, my expectation is to staple about every three inches on the edges. Sorry if these are dumb questions to some, but I haven't really ever used an electric staple gun and I haven't installed carpet, so I'm just not sure how deep the staple needs to go into the hard wood of the stairs to make it last.

I was thinking something like this:

Dewalt DWHT75021 Heavy Duty Electirc 5-in-1 Multi-Tacker

https://www.amazon.com/Dewalt-DWHT75...s%2C286&sr=8-1

Thanks for your advice!

 

I know we discussed staplers..... Staplegun for installing Stair Runner?

You're stapling into very hard wood.
You'd use the shortest possible staple based on product thickness.
Not sure if that model is going to be very effective based on reviews.

 

Pjmax,

You're right. We did, and I'm sorry if I should have continued this topic on that thread. (Happy to have a mod merge this with that thread if you like.)

I couldn't find the DuoFast electric stapler that Sam Floor mentioned in the previous thread, but I could afford the Roberts 10-600 stapler, as you recommended before. As much as I've been able to piece it together, other installers have been using 18 gauge staples with a crown of an unknown width, and a length from 1/2 to 9/16ths. The Roberts only goes 20 gauge, but my own feeling is that would be enough. Any concern about the 3/16" crown being too narrow for carpet? So long as it can fire a 9/16 into the wood, that might be the safest choice for both the carpet widths I described, right?

Thanks for indulging me further on this. I was going to rent one but local offerings were either booked or "broken" with no word on when they will be repaired.

EDIT: Also, regarding the staples for the Roberts 10-600, I'm seeing "chisel point" or "divergent point". It seems to be that the divergent would hold better, but could I use the "chisel"? My local offerings don't seem to stock the "divergent" but the stapler and "chisel" point are in stock.

Looking at: Powernail PS5418C 20 Gauge 3/16 Inch Crown 9/16 Inch Length Chisel Point Staple (Box of 5000)

 

If you use any staple with more than 1/4" crown, it will probably show. Remember, if you can separate the yarn when you staple, they will be less visible.

 

sam floor,

Today, I bought the Roberts stapler that Pjmax recommended. It throws a 3/16" crown, so that should work.

Any comment on "chisel" vs. "divergent" point? <-- This more than anything is holding me up for what to order.

Again, if I go with 9/16" long staple instead of 1/2" I should be okay on 3/8" thick rug and another that's thinner, right?

 

LOL. I know I'm being tedious here, but I just need a little more help to get the parts ordered and do the proejct.

Other forums I've looked at suggest a 7/8" long staple but I think that's overkill and beyond the limits of the Roberts Stapler I bought which suggests I only use Duo-fast or Surebonder staples to help prevent jamming.

I found some 9/16" staples from duo-fast that are divergent, but they have a gold crown and I think that color will stick out against the carpet.

Is this "gold crown" just painted on or is it some kind of brass or something? Can I just sand it off or paint it before loading the staples?

 

I think the gold color is just the glue that hods the staples together. At least they had something like that. I retired 10 years ago, so I am out of the loop a little. 7/16 long was what we used. 3/16 wide should be fine.

 

Sam Floor/PJ,

I went with the 9/16" long divergent staples from duo-fast. Runners worked out pretty well! The Electric roberts Staple gun was a sweet little tool. "Gold" crowns weren't an issue in terms of showing up on the carpet. I didn't have a carpet stretcher. Took a little muscle to stretch the carpet to shoot in the staples... and I used a LOT of staples.

Anyway, thanks for the help!