That U-shaped stair job last Tuesday really threw me off

I was doing a full basement remodel carpet install in a split-level house out in Naperville, and the U-shaped stairs were way tighter than I expected. The outside radius was only about 4 inches, so my typical waterfall method just wouldn't lay flat without puckering bad. I ended up having to cut the backing every 2 inches to get it to wrap around clean, which took me like 3 hours just for those 12 steps. Has anyone else run into super tight U-stair curves and found a faster trick, or am I just slow on these?

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patricia_hayes2mo ago

Used to swear by the waterfall method on everything but those tight U's changed my mind real quick. Cutting the backing every couple inches is a pain but it's the only way I've found to not get those ugly puckers.

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matthewf402mo ago

Man, that's so true. It's funny how you think you've got one method locked down, and then a curveball like that shows up and makes you rethink the whole thing. @patricia_hayes, that's the same way I feel about learning any new trick. You gotta be willing to ditch the old way and get your hands dirty with the tedious stuff, cause the easy route just leaves you with a mess every time.

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