Stair Runner

In case you’re thinking that I’m into running up and down stairs, let me gently correct you.  I do not exercise.  Or maybe having a 15 month old means that you are exempt from exercise because they keep you on your toes constantly.  At least it’s a nice thought, right?  : ) 

When I last left off, we had stripped our basement stairs of their rubber treads and were planning to put down a runner rug instead.  This is where I’m supposed to tell you that we simply picked up a few rugs at IKEA, borrowed a nail gun and compressor from a friend, and then installed it on a relaxed Saturday afternoon whilst  Liam played happily with his toys. 

…

Want the real story?  I know you do.  The reality is that DIY doesn’t go as planned most of the time, and sometimes you just need to know that you’re not alone in the craziness. 

Real story:

* Several months ago I picked up some striped runner rugs from the Denver IKEA for the stairs. 

* We brought them home and quickly decided that we only needed two runner rugs instead of four—yay for saving some cash—only to decide about five minutes later that the white stripes were begging to get dirty, and there was no way they would look nice for the long haul.  *SIGH* 

* Several weeks later, on another trip to Denver, I exchanged the striped rugs for some sisal indoor/outdoor ones that we thought would stand up to heavy traffic.  This time I bought a long runner and a short rug, since it seemed like we had so much extra rug previously.

* Several weeks later (are you catching the pattern?) we asked Grandma Cheryl to babysit Liam while we worked on installing the rug.  We thought it would take about two hours, give or take. 

* We buckled down to work while Grandma and Liam were on a walk, only to find that the nails we were using were too small!  They kept slipping through the rug, and it’s just wasn’t staying in place.  Matt ran to the closest hardware store and picked up several others tools, including longer nails and a heavy duty staple gun, plus some extra carpet tape.  By then it was time for Liam’s nap, so we hung our heads dejectedly and decided to wait for another day.  Oh, we also realized that we needed two long runner rugs, because we were coming up short. Apparently my vague estimates measuring skills are seriously lacking…

* Several weeks later we headed to Denver yet again, but this time for a relaxing weekend away.  On the way up we popped into IKEA and exchanged the short rug for another long runner rug.  Since the cashier and I were practically BFFs at this point, the exchange took less than a minute—whoohoo!

* Another week passed and we started talking about how we really should finish up the stairs.  Around 8:30 pm on Sunday night, Matt got a text from his friend asking for the nail gun and compressor back…at 9 pm!  We freaked out and begged for an extra hour.  Thankfully, his friend had mercy on us and the curfew was extended.

* And with that kick in the pants, we quickly got in our groove and finished installing the runner by about 10 pm that night.  It actually went pretty smoothly once we had all the right tools and rugs. 

* In spite of all the hoopla along the way, we’re loving the finished product!  In addition to looking a bazillion times better, the rug muffles sound, which makes for a happy mama when the baby is sleeping. 

A last look…