Carpet

Carpeting Stairs: Waterfall vs Hollywood

Waterfall vs Hollywood (cap-and-band) stairs, pile direction, tack strip and pad on stairs, and the tools that make the job faster.

Updated · 2 min read

Stairs are where carpet gets the most wear and where installation shortcuts show fastest. There are two main styles, and the residential installation standard sets requirements for both.[1]

Waterfall vs Hollywood

The difference is how the carpet handles the nose and riser.

Waterfall Hollywood (cap-and-band, upholstered)
Look Carpet flows over the nose and drops straight to the next tread Carpet wraps tightly around the nose and follows the riser
Riser tack strip Yes, pins down No tack strip on the riser[1]
Work Faster More time; staples and tucking at each riser

The tack strip rules are in section 15.2 of the standard, which calls these waterfall-type and cap-and-band (contoured) installations.[1] "Hollywood" is the common trade name for cap-and-band; CRI doesn't use the term.

Prepare the stairs

Most stair callbacks trace back to the nose and the gully.

  • Round the nose to a 3/4" to 1" radius and run the cushion over the nose (section 15.1).[1]
  • On treads, tack strip pins face the riser. The gully at the back of the tread is a little less than twice the carpet thickness.[1] See Tack strip layout.
  • For turned edges on open stairs, keep strip and pad about 1-1/2" narrower than the carpet.[1]

Pile direction

The machine direction runs the length of the stairs, and most carpet makers want the pile running down the stairs (section 15.4).[1] It wears better that way and looks consistent from the bottom.

Step by step

This is the general sequence; the style decides the details at each riser.

  1. Install strip on treads (and on risers for waterfall).
  2. Staple pad to each tread, wrapping it over the nose.
  3. Cut carpet pieces with the pile running down the stairs.
  4. Start at the bottom. Hook the carpet at the back of the tread and drive it into the gully with a stair tool.
  5. Stretch toward the nose. The Crain No. 507 stair stretcher works from the top stair down.
  6. For Hollywood, wrap the nose tightly and staple under it and at the riser. Separate the pile yarns before stapling so they aren't trapped.[1]
  7. Finish any raw edges on upholstered work.

Glue-down stairs

For glue-down carpet with a nose return, the tread and riser are separate pieces (section 15.3).[1] Use nosing made for carpet, bonded per its instructions.

Common mistakes

Most stair callbacks are loose carpet at the nose.

  • Pile running up the stairs.
  • Staples trapping pile. They show as dimples in the face.
  • Pad stopping at the nose. The nose wears through fast.
  • Loose carpet at the back of the tread. Drive it fully into the gully.

Tools we carry

These are the stair tools, stretchers and staplers we stock.

References

  1. CRI 105: Residential carpet installation standard

Tools for this job

Shop by category

More Carpet guides