Outdoor Stair Treads

Outdoor stairs often get slippery with moisture, snow, ice, leaves, dirt, and other debris, and outdoor stair treads are very popular for safety reasons.

They can be made of various types of carpet or rug, rubber, vinyl, aluminum, and many other materials as well.

We'll primarily discuss ones made of carpet or rug here.

Some are designed like small carpeted welcome mats, one per stair. They may have a non slip (often rubber) backing so they just need to be laid down and not affixed in any way. These are convenient for obvious reasons including trivial installation and ease of cleaning them and the stairs. Others may be attached with some type of glue, staples, or tacks.

An example is these Carpeted Outdoor Stair Treads. They are about $10 each and ideal for entryway steps. They have a nubby surface that looks and feels like normal carpeting but they are made of "all-weather polypropylene" and designed for outdoor use. They also resist mold and mildew, and trap moisture and dirt much like a door mat. A rubber backing keeps them in place, and they can simply be cleaned with a spray of the hose.

There are plenty of similar models you can find both online and offline.

A contiguous piece of carpet can be used as well as. Friends of mine have such a carpet outdoors leading to their pool. It's made of outdoor carpet material and permanently affixed to the stairs.

My only complaint, and it's a minor one, with outdoor carpet and rug of any type is that it holds moisture longer than bare steps or other types of outdoor stair treads. Specifically, if you run outside with socks on, perhaps in the morning to grab the paper, your socks may get wet from the carpet/rugs when everything else is dry and the ground looks dry. A minor point indeed.