At the end of my last column, I said we would continue our discussion on seaming with the hot-glue gun Berber seaming technique I developed in the mid 80’s.

Photo 1

Unfortunately the situation did not arise for me to get the necessary pictures. Sorry, I hope to have that ready for next issue.

The following is a solution I came up with for covering boxes or platforms, which works great on square edged upholstered stairs, in this case a concrete stair.

First, strip the stair. (Photos 1 & 2) As you can see, I used commercial strip. Create a wood corner with the strip; in this case I covered the side with strip; it was just easier.

I like to drill and use aluminum drive nails; I find it easier to get a secure piece of strip.

Photo 2

(Photo 3) You have to be careful nailing close to the edge on the corner; the concrete could chip off. Use commercial strip to safeguard against this. Tap two round toothpicks into your 1/8-inch pilot hole to make a wood plug, then use a wood nail; this will completely eliminate the problem.

Next, pad the stair. (Photo 4) The duct tape on the nose of the stair is to reinforce the pad and prevent premature stair wear.

In this case, the stair was square enough that I could pre-cut the carpet. (Photo 5)

Install the stair front and side. The edge seam will be open. (Photo 6)

With a hot-glue gun, run a small bead of hot-glue at the base of the naps right at the top of the backing. (Photo 7)

Photo 3

A little bit goes a long way! Press the base of the naps together in a pinching motion from about 1/4-inch away from the sea edge. Work your way up and down the seam until the hot-glue grabs and sets, usually about 10 to 15 seconds. (Photo 8) This locks the naps across the seam gap and creates a beautiful finished corner.

Photo 4

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Photo 8