Question about trimming carpet around a curved staircase

I tried using a standard hook blade on a tight spiral staircase in a house near Denver last week and the cut kept drifting off my line. Has anyone found a tool or technique that makes curved cuts cleaner without having to re-do the whole piece?

2 comments

2 Comments

janaf7627d agoMost Upvoted

How bad is the drift really? Unless you're installing for some homeowner with a magnifying glass, a little wobble in the curve is usually fine once the shoe molding goes on. I've done three spiral staircases and honestly just used a sharp utility knife with a fresh blade and took my time, no special tool. If you're chasing a perfect line on the first pass you're gonna have a bad time. Trim it a hair wide and shave it down with a file or sandpaper, it's not brain surgery.

sams2527d ago

I get where you're coming from @janaf76, but honestly I think the drift matters more than you're letting on. Even with shoe molding, if the curve is off by even a quarter inch it can cause the tread to sit uneven, which feels sketchy underfoot. You might be okay with a little wobble on your own stairs, but for a client I'd be worried about liability if someone trips. Utility knife works fine for straight cuts, but on a tight spiral you'd be surprised how the blade can wander with the grain, especially on hardwood or engineered stuff. Filing down does help, but it's a pain to get consistent results across ten or twelve treads without some kind of guide or template.