Stair Rod on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A stair rod, also commonly referred to as a carpet rod, is an ornamental decorative hardware item used to hold
A stair rod, also commonly referred to as a carpet rod, is an ornamental decorative hardware item used to hold carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...
ing in place on steps. (Such long but narrow strips of carpeting are known as ''carpet runners'' or ''stair runners'' or '' stair carpet''). Traditionally, stair rods were used to hold a carpet runner in place on stairs, but with superior carpet installation techniques and more rigid safety standards today, stair rods serve primarily a decorative purpose. Stair rods are however still an integral part of many installation techniques. They hide dimples in the carpet runner caused by installation staples or nail heads and they are also often required to conceal a pattern mismatch when the carpet runner is cut during installation at each step where the tread meets the riser.
Stair rods consists of a long bar, either solid core or tube (hollow core), and brackets used to hold the bar in place. The brackets are installed on either side the carpet runner directly on the wood of the step. The brackets hold the bar that lies across the carpet runner firmly in place. A decorative finial end is commonly attached or integrated into the ends of the bar or attached to the outside of the brackets to give a more decorative and less industrial look.
Materials used in stair rods can be steel
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
, iron, wood, aluminum
Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
, or brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
. Today brass and brass-plated stair rods are generally considered to strike a perfect balance between strength, appearance, and value.
It is sometimes used as a metaphor for heavy rain, e.g. "It's raining stair rods". Thought to have its origins in the optical illusion
In visual perception, an optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is an illusion caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual perception, percept that arguably appears to differ from reality. Illusions come in a wide varie ...
of large, driving (wind blown) raindrops appearing to greatly elongate.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stair Rod Stairways Rugs and carpets Hardware (mechanical) Stairs