Description

A red carpet runner marks the route guests walk in on. That is its job before it is a decorative choice. Cars stop, people get out, and the carpet tells them where to go without a sign. Our red carpet runner rentals come in 3-foot and 4-foot widths, in lengths from around a dozen feet up to 50 feet.

Which width to ask for

A 3-foot runner suits single-file arrivals, a doorway approach or a narrow path. Four feet lets two people walk side by side. That matters for couples, for a host escorting a guest, and for anyone using a cane or a walker. So if the carpet is doing arrivals in front of a camera, take the wider one.

Working out the length

Measure the actual walk rather than guessing. Start where a car door opens or a guest leaves the sidewalk. Finish where the carpet stops earning its keep, usually just inside the door. Longer runs come from laying runners end to end, though the seam shows. So a single 50-foot runner beats two 25s when the shot includes the whole carpet.

Surfaces, seams and safety

A red carpet runner rental lies on pavement, indoor flooring or short grass. On a hard surface the edges want taping down, because a lifted edge at an entrance is where people trip. On grass, remember that a carpet holds water. Rain the night before does not drain out by morning. So plan a covered approach if the forecast looks wet. Keep cable out from under the carpet too, or run it in a cable cover instead.

What it usually goes with

Stanchions and rope hold the line off the carpet edge. A step-and-repeat or a banner wall closes the far end. Uplights on either side pick up the colour after dark. Red goes flat and brown in dim light without help.