Decently-priced carpet runner?

January 13, 2009 3:09 PM

I'd like to get a ~20ft runner for my hallway. Big-box stores only ever have 9ft at the longest, and the local carpet store wants more than $500 to have one cut and bound. Are there any options in between, save dumpster-diving for remnants?
posted by rhizome to home & garden (16 comments total)

Big carpet stores always have long strips cut off to fit a wall-to-wall carpet to a 20' room. Of course they aren't edge-bound, but it's possible get it a little wider than the hall, put down tack blocks and then trim. You'll need a knee bumper stretcher, but you can probably find some who knows how to lay carpets on Craigslist, Angie's list, etc.

Or out could get an unbound strip and get it bound, again through the store or Craigslist, etc.
posted by KRS at 3:58 PM on January 13

Have you checked out FLOR flooring tiles? You can customize them to any size, and they come in a pretty wide range of styles. I can only vouch for the inexpensive, high-traffic styles, but there are also more plush, higher-end designs.
posted by dayintoday at 4:01 PM on January 13 [1 favorite]

You can go to a carpet remnants store, may be dramatically cheaper than the big carpet store.
posted by iamabot at 4:02 PM on January 13

Perhaps homedecoratorsoutlet.com has something that will work. The link is to their Rug Finder -- it looks like they might have some runners as big as 3x18ft. Not quite 20ft, but maybe close enough? I've been very happy with their prices and selection, and with the quality of the one rug I purchased from them.
posted by Balonious Assault at 4:11 PM on January 13

This place has runners as long as 60+ ft. They're on rolls and can be cut to order and bound on the ends. An economical one priced out at $209 for 20'. I don't know what quality you want but if it's to protect a floor/warm up a hallway, this is one option. I think I've also seen this sort of thing at Home Depot.
posted by mumstheword at 4:44 PM on January 13

It's also possible to stitch together cheap Ikea rugs, if you want to go that route. There was a bit about in Apartment Therapy a little while back that I'm too lazy to search for.
posted by craven_morhead at 5:31 PM on January 13

Here is a 3x18 foot runner for just over $100 (Home Decorators, again)
posted by metahawk at 6:44 PM on January 13

I've seen the big roll 'o carpet runner at Home Depot.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 12:53 AM on January 14

Yeah, I forgot to mention the runner rolls. I don't want those, either. Too thin. I'd like real carpet, or as close to it as possible.

The whole story is that this is actually for the benefit of my downstairs neighbors, since my floor is squeaky and I tend to stay up late. They didn't even have to ask! Any insulation benefits are gravy, but a gravy that is entirely negated by the cheap-ass aluminum frame window above it in my hallway (a future question). If I could do 30" of carpet and 18"+ of thin carpet pad (if necessary or even desirable) for under $200 I'd be stoked. A thick carpet gripper strip would substitute for the carpet pad nicely. I don't know if those come in thicknesses, though.
posted by rhizome at 1:55 AM on January 14

Here is a very nice one slightly above your budget.
posted by sulaine at 8:10 AM on January 14

Another very nice one.
posted by sulaine at 8:12 AM on January 14

I'm afraid that carpet won't help squeaking floorboards much. The squeaks are caused by the narrow strips of flooring wood being slightly loose and rubbing together. Carpet may distribute your weight a little, but it's the same amount of weight pushing down on the boards.

Here are a few threads.
posted by KRS at 11:59 AM on January 14

Not sure if you towards DIY, but you could make your own floor cloth runner.

Lots of how-tos available. Here's one.
posted by hellboundforcheddar at 12:06 PM on January 14

Not sure if lean towards DIY, that is.
posted by hellboundforcheddar at 12:07 PM on January 14

multiple typos... embarrassing... ack
posted by hellboundforcheddar at 12:07 PM on January 14

Definitely take a look at Flor. I don't have it myself, but I have a variant (commercial-grade carpet tiles) in parts of my house and love it. mathowie did a Flor carpet runner in his home office a while ago. (don't ask why that stuck in my brain; I srsly have no idea.)

KRS may be right about the squeaking, though.
posted by epersonae at 1:12 PM on January 14