Shape Nosing at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Worn nosings are potentially dangerous and should be repaired or replaced. Cut off the damaged section using a. padsaw or jigsaw. Fit a strip of wood the same depth as the tread and the same width as the other nosings, and glue and screw it in place. The screws must be deeply countersunk to allow you to shape nosing the nosing with a small plane or spokeshave. Finish off with sandpaper.

Stair carpet must be laid over underlay, which can be in the form of pads tacked to each tread and overhanging the nosing by 2in (5cm). You can tack the carpet in place, although special staircase grippers will give a better finish. Start at the bottom, with the pile facing down the stairs. Tack the carpet to the first tread, press the fold into the first gripper and, working upward, keep the carpet very taut. When you reach the top riser, tack it under the last nosing so that the landing carpet just overlaps it.

Angled treads (winders) need a series of folds in the carpet to take up the slack. An easier method is to cut the carpet just below the nosing and tack it in place on each winder.