Stairs
About Stairs
There are too many reasons to install stair treads in your house. For one thing, they are a simple and elegant solution to avoid trips and falls. Moreover, they add warmth to your home and make it look more pleasing and livelier.
Among all the things in a home, staircases are something everyone has to be careful about. Accidents do happen often and sometimes falls from the top can even be fatal. Staircases already have some safety features like hand railing, a landing between every twelve or fifteen steps, etc. But the risk of slipping from the steps exists even then. Stair treads are a solution to this problem. However, before you start shopping for them, read this article to get a better understanding of treads. This will help you make better choices when you are purchasing.
A guide to stair treads and how to use them
Stair treads are both a functional and an aesthetic element. Installing stair treads on your stairs will not only give you an additional grip when you are climbing up or down the stairs, but it will also add some contrasting colours to it. That being said, the real challenge is choosing a tread for your home. Even before that, you should know what they are and what are the benefits of having them. This article will tell you all about stair treads. You can find some really helpful tips that you can use while you are shopping for them.
Benefits of using stair treads
The first thing that comes to mind when you think about stair treads is that they are there to avoid slipping and falling. They provide a grippy surface to step on and will not get slippery even when they are wet. But there are other advantages to using stair treads. As they act as an extra protective layer on the staircase, they can extend the life of the staircase by protecting it from wear and scuff marks. So, what if the treads itself are worn out and look unsightly? In that case, you can replace the old treads with new ones without any trouble.
Types of materials for stair treads
The reason why most people prefer treads over runners for the staircases is that it is easy to find treads that look good and fit any stairs perfectly. Treads come in more varieties than runners. They come in both synthetic and natural materials. It is not easy to say which one is better because all of them have their own benefits and problems. The most common natural materials for treads are wool, sisal, jute and coir. Among these, wool is the most expensive material. But if you want more affordable options, you can look into synthetic materials like polypropylene and nylon.
Styles of stair mats
In the case of fabric stair treads, you should use adhesives to tack the tread on the staircase steps. But not all treads need to be tacked. Rubber treads that are heavier and grippier than fabric will stay in place even if there is nothing else that is holding them. Such treads might not look as good as, say, an all-wool stair tread. But they are ideal for outdoor staircases that are exposed to sun and rain. Rubber and thick nylon treads have perforations in them to enable the water to flow out. They tend to be much heavier and thicker than the average fabric tread.
Features to look for in treads
Apart from the necessary features to have in the treads, like non-skid mats, you can look for other handy features as well. If the treads are self-adhesive, you don’t need to look for another mat tack to fix them on the stairs. It will also make it a lot easier to install them in your home. You might come across bullnose treads when you shop. So, what are bullnose treads? Well, unlike standard stair treads, bullnose treads wrap around the edges of the stairs. This minimises the gap between treads and gives it a more continuous look. UV stabilisation is a must-have in outdoor stair mats. They will enable the treads to withstand constant exposure to the UV rays from the sun.
Tips on how to buy the right type of stair treads
It can be overwhelming when you are shopping for stair treads, especially if you are a beginner to this field. As there are dozens of different materials and hundreds and thousands of designs, it can be hard to choose a stair tread that is right for your home or office. But that’s only if you don’t know what to look for in them. Here are a few tips that you can follow in order to find out the best stair tread for your staircase.
- Pick the right type of treads – Decide where you are going to use the treads and what you need them for before selecting the treads. If it is for indoor decoration, then you can choose the material accordingly. If you are going to use it outdoors, go for a material that is resistant to weather like vulcanised rubber or nylon.
- Get the right size – Threads are very different from runners when it comes to sizing. In the case of runners, there should be a bare portion on either side of the staircase. But this is not necessary for treads. In fact, it is better if the treads cover most of the area of the steps. If you prefer otherwise, you can choose treads that are slightly smaller than the steps.
- The number of threads – You really have to count the number of steps on the staircase to find out how many treads you need to buy. Usually, treads come as a bundle. But even then, you should know how many steps there are to figure out which bundle to choose.
- Look at the features of the treads – Everybody agrees that treads should be non-slip stair treads. Otherwise, the treads would make the staircase an even more dangerous thing to climb. Besides that, you can look for handy features like the ease of cleaning, water resistance, and self-adhesive treads. Also, consider how easy it is to replace the treads. There are also decorative stair treads that purely serve as an aesthetic element.
Apart from the stair treads, you will also need carpet tacks and marking tapes to fix the mats on the stairs. If you want to make the treads firmer, use special non-skid pads before placing the treads. This will also give additional traction to the feet. Also, don’t forget to check out other amazing products from Home & Living .
Question & Answer
How to install stair tread?
Anybody can install stair treads with the right set of tools and enough time. It takes a lot of time to fix treads on the steps because you want to keep all of their uniforms in the exact same positions without skewing. For this, you need measuring tapes and marking tapes. Find out the exact centre of the steps and the tread. Then align the centre of the stair mat with that of the step and make sure that it aligns perfectly with the borders of the step. If it is not a self-adhesive mat, stick double-sided adhesive tape to the underside of the mat before placing it on the step.
How thick should stair treads be?
Stair treads should not be too thick to avoid tripping and falling from the staircase. It should not be thick enough for your foot to get caught in it before you properly place your foot on the floor. But it shouldn’t be too thin either. Thinner treads are less durable, and you will have to replace them more often than the thicker ones. So, the question is how to balance safety and durability. A thickness of fewer than 0.5 inches is a good approximation. However, you might come across tread that is even thinner than that. In reality, those aren’t stair mats. Instead, those are anti-slip stickers that add a bit more grip to the steps.
How do you keep stair mats from moving around?
Leaving the treads on the stairs without fastening them to the step is not a safe thing to do. The trick is to tack down the mat on the step. But before you begin, vacuum the stairs to remove any dust that is on the surface of the stairs. Mop it and leave it for a few minutes till it is completely dry. Afterwards, stick pieces of double-sided carpet tapes on the back of the stair treads around the edges. Do this for every single one of the treads. After leaving the backing on the adhesive tape that is already on the back of the tread, place it firmly on the step while making sure that the mat is aligned properly.
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