 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.