tackless

Install tackless strips if there are none before attaching padding.

Tackless strips consist of thin lengths of wood.

Pry up the remaining end of the carpet where it is fastened against the tackless strip on the bottom tread.

Next, unhook the carpet from the tackless strips with a knee-kicker and then carefully pry off the strip attaching the carpet to the bottom riser.

It should cover each stair tread except for the tackless strip at the rear and should extend over the nosing, the rounded front of the tread.

The method shown here uses tackless strips as fasteners instead of old-fashioned stair rods, which prevent stretching carpet tightly, and allows shifting carpeting to expose fresh material as wear develops.

James M. Balanesi of Vallejo, Calif., is the inventor of Gum Pals, simple disks of paper for the tackless disposal of chewing gum.

The introduction of "smoothedge" also known as "tack strip", "tackless strip", or "gripper strip" simplified the installation of wall-to-wall carpeting, increasing the neatness of the finish at the wall.

If you don't see any tacks, the carpeting is probably fastened from underneath by tackless strips, lengths of thin wood with nails driven upward at an angle through them so their points grip the carpet's backing.

Stretch and fasten the carpet where the tread and riser meet by forcing the material down between the tackless strips with a stair tool, a heavy chisel with a wide, dull blade, which you can rent.

To remove carpet from tackless strips, you can either cut it into sections with a utility knife and pull the pieces up (be careful not to damage the padding underneath), or you can rent a knee-kicker from a rental center or carpet store.