Guide · For the trade
Runner rug sizes: standard lengths, the long runner rug and when to go custom
Standard runner rug sizes run 2 to 3 feet wide and 6 to 14 feet long, in steps of 2 feet: 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, 2x12, 2.5x8, 2.5x10, 2.5x12, 3x8, 3x10, 3x12 and 3x14. A long runner rug for a hall over 15 feet is cut from broadloom to the inch, at 27, 32 or 36 inches wide and any length to 40 feet or more in one piece, in 3 to 5 weeks. The 2x10 runner is the most ordered standard size because it fits the 12 to 13 foot hall in most houses with a foot of floor at each end.
This guide is for the designer or the junior matching a runner size to a measured hall, gallery, kitchen or bedside. It gives the standard sizes in one table, the length that fits each common hall, when a standard size stops working and an extra long runner from broadloom takes over and the construction notes that matter at length. The hall runners guide covers the width rule and where a runner starts and stops; this one is about the sizes themselves.
Standard runner sizes in one table
| Size | Inches | Hall it fits (12 to 18 in of floor at each end) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x6 | 24 by 72 | 8 to 9 ft | Bedside, powder room approach, short entry |
| 2x8 | 24 by 96 | 10 to 11 ft | Bedside beside a king, galley kitchen |
| 2x10 | 24 by 120 | 12 to 13 ft | The standard hall in a 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft house |
| 2x12 | 24 by 144 | 14 to 15 ft | Longer hall, narrow at 36 to 40 in wide |
| 2.5x8 and 2.5x10 | 30 by 96, 30 by 120 | 10 to 13 ft | Hall 42 to 46 in wide |
| 2.5x12 | 30 by 144 | 14 to 15 ft | Hall 42 to 46 in wide |
| 3x8 and 3x10 | 36 by 96, 36 by 120 | 10 to 13 ft | Hall 48 in and wider, kitchen island run |
| 3x12 and 3x14 | 36 by 144, 36 by 168 | 14 to 17 ft | Gallery, wide upstairs hall |
| Custom | 27, 32 or 36 in wide, any length | Over 15 ft, or any hall between sizes | Extra long runners, matched stair and hall |
A "2 foot" runner is woven at 24 to 27 inches depending on the mill, a "2.5" at 30 to 32; measure the actual rug. Fringe adds 2 to 4 inches at each end and is not counted.
Matching the runner to the hall length
Take the clear length of the hall between door casings, subtract 24 to 36 inches so 12 to 18 inches of floor shows at each end and choose the standard size at or just under that number. A 13 foot hall takes a 2x10 (120 inches, 18 inches of floor each end). In a 14 foot 6 inch hall, a 2x12 leaves 15 inches each end and works; a 2x10 leaves 27 and looks short. Where a doorway opens off the hall, the runner stops before it or runs past it by at least 12 inches; a runner ending at a door frame reads as a mistake.
The 2x10 runner and why it sells
Most American halls are 36 to 42 inches wide and 12 to 14 feet long, which is exactly the 2x10's job: 24 to 27 inches of rug leaves 5 to 8 inches of floor each side and the length fits with a foot or so at the ends. It also fits beside a king bed, down the long side of a kitchen island and in a mudroom. Through Interiors the 2x10 and its neighbors are in the runners by size filter, about 900 runners from Couristan, Milliken in hand-knotted, hand-tufted, machine-woven and flatweave constructions.
Extra long runner rugs: 15 to 40 feet from broadloom
Past 14 feet the standard lines stop and the long runner rug becomes a cut from broadloom. The roll runs 100 feet or more in length, so a runner is cut lengthwise along it at 27, 32 or 36 inches wide, to any length the hall needs, with no seam: 20, 30 and 40 foot upstairs halls are ordinary orders. Wool Wilton, hand-loomed wool and flatweave stripes lie flat at length; a loosely woven jute bows over 20 feet. Lead time is 3 to 5 weeks and the same cut makes the stair runner so hall and stair match. The custom runner rugs guide has the order sequence.
A runner from a 12 foot roll: the arithmetic
Runners are cut along the roll, so the roll width decides how many come out of one length. A 12 foot (144 inch) roll yields four 36 inch runners with nothing to spare, five 27 inch runners with 9 inches left, or four 32 inch runners with 16 inches for the binding allowance. A 13 ft 2 in roll (158 inches) gives five 27 inch or four 36 inch runners with room for the cut. One 30 foot cut usually makes a house's hall, stair and bedside runners in one dye lot.
Runners that are not in a hall
Bedside runners are 2x6 beside a queen, 2x8 or 2.5x8 beside a king, starting at the nightstand and stopping at the foot. Kitchen runners run the length of the island minus 12 inches at each end, usually 2.5x8 to 3x12, in a flatweave or a Wilton that takes a wash; the kitchen runner size guide has the numbers. A gallery or a long landing takes a 3x12 or 3x14 centered under the art wall. All of them follow the same rule: 4 to 6 inches of floor each side, 12 to 18 inches at each end.
Pad at length
Every runner on a hard floor gets a pad cut 1 inch inside the edge, 1/8 inch rubber under a flatweave and 1/4 inch felt-and-rubber under a woven runner. Over 15 feet, tell the installer to lay the pad in one piece or tape the joint; a pad seam telegraphs as a ripple at length.
Questions designers ask
What are the standard runner rug sizes?
2x6, 2x8, 2x10, 2x12, 2.5x8, 2.5x10, 2.5x12, 3x8, 3x10, 3x12 and 3x14 feet. The "2 foot" width is 24 to 27 inches in practice. Anything longer than 14 feet is cut from broadloom to the length of the hall.
How long can a runner rug be?
From broadloom, 40 feet and more in one piece with no seam, because the runner is cut along the roll's length. Hand-knotted runners top out around 20 feet in most lines and longer pieces are custom woven, 18 to 20 weeks.
What size runner for a 12 foot hallway?
A 2x10, which leaves 12 inches of floor at each end, in a width that leaves 4 to 6 inches each side: 27 inches for a 36 inch hall, 32 inches for a 42 inch hall, 36 inches for a 48 inch hall.
Should a long hallway have one runner or two?
One, cut to the length. Two standard runners end to end show a joint, drift apart and rarely match in dye lot. A 20 foot hall gets a 20 foot runner minus 2 to 3 feet, from broadloom, in 3 to 5 weeks.
Can a long runner be washable?
A flatweave cotton or polypropylene runner under 10 feet can go in a commercial machine; anything longer is cleaned in place or sent out. For a long hall that needs washing, specify a solution-dyed polypropylene flatweave that takes a hose and a dry.
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