Stair Tread Rugs and More Stair Safety

Stair Tread Rugs have many advantages, and a primary one is certainly safety as they can help reduce or hopefully prevent slipping and falling.

It doesn't matter how beautiful they are, how well they protect the underlying stairs, or anything else if you slip and die! Of course there are other things one can do to make staircases safe other than just installing a non slip surface, and we list a few here.

Perhaps the biggest offender when it comes to safety is random objects stored on stairs. Whether they are children's toys (which if you have kids will show up everywhere), clothes stored temporarily before being brought upstairs, or other "stuff" accumulating, safety is an issue. Basically, do not use your stairs as storage. Some stairways resemble closets! If you must store some objects on the stairs, make it short term, such as neatly folded clothes that will be carried up on the next trip, or consider the use of a stair basket, a basket designed to sit on the edge of your stairs and neatly and safely store objects.

Also make sure your stairs are in good repair. We have had some work done on ours in the past decade as they do receive heavy wear. This includes the treads, as well as banisters, handrails, etc. Check them regularly.

If they are not in a well lit place, as for example some cellar stairs, add lighting as appropriate. Lighting can usually be added reasonably inexpensively and may even be a do it yourself project. In many cases, simply replacing a burn out bulb or replacing with a more powerful bulb may be sufficient.

A handrail may be appropriate as well. My mother in law's cellar stairs (where she did have a nasty fall once) had its safety enormously enhanced by the addition of an inexpensive (yet sturdy) handrail.

Also take care when you transverse any staircase, Watch where you step, especially if you have kids who may leave random objects all over. If carrying large, bulky, and/or heavy objects, you may want to take an extra trip instead of overloading yourself. They both make movement awkward, and restrict your vision, both potential safety issues.

Stair tread rugs and other non slip surfaces are but one aspect of stair safety. Keeping your stairs in good repair, not allowing objects to accumulate that may be hazards, checking to make sure they are well lit, considering a handrail if one isn't already there, as well as being careful are all good practices as well.