Stair Renovations

Safety: While stair treads are a quick and easy way to dress up stairs, safety experts aren’t keen on them. According to the Home Safety Council, falls from stairs or steps are the second leading cause of fall-related deaths. So, it’s best to save any potential tripping hazard for households that don’t have children or seniors—or save them for stairs that don’t get much traffic. They do, however, provide a modicum of cushioning should you fall. Liza Phillips designs colorful wool stair treads called ALTO Steps in several different patterns. Photo courtesy of ALTO Steps. Creating Continuous Color A runner—which appears to be one, long piece of carpet that runs up the center of the stairs, leaving the edges exposed—is a very traditional and, because they’re often seen in Oriental patterns, classic look. Because a runner does not cover the entire width of the steps, it poses a similar risk to stair treads due to lifting at the edges. However, runners are fully secured on the top and bottom of the staircase since the carpet goes up the risers, too. Some people use brass stair rails at the bottom of each riser for a finished look. While these once used to be the best way to hold runners down and hide tack strips, today they are purely decorative and simply a design option. Runners should have cushioning beneath them that extends all the way around the bullnose (rounded) edge of each step. Without it, the constant back-and-forth movement of feet on the stairs will cause the pad to slowly bunch up toward the riser. The cushion should be tacked to the floor, and the runner should be glued or tacked to the cushion, Walker says. Installing a runner is not as easy as it looks, he warns. To find a professional installer in your area, check the CFI Web site. Maintenance: Regular vacuuming keeps carpet looking its best. Sweeping carpet with an broom also works and often does a better job of scooping debris from corners and the tough-to-clean area where riser and tread merge. Safety: Runners should be wide enough to prevent an uneven gait; that is, if you’re walking up or down stairs, you want both feet to be on the carpet—not one on the carpet and one on the wood. Both vertical and horizontal surfaces should be securely attached to the stairs. Also be careful choosing patterns if your eyesight is waning. “If you have bifocals and are coming down the stairs, the pattern can actually start moving on you, and it becomes a tripping hazard,” Walker notes. “I had to replace patterned carpet on the steps inside a bank when they had six trip-and-falls in two days, all due to bifocals.” Fully Cushioned Comfort Purists may eschew it, but many homeowners prefer the feeling of plush carpeting under foot on stairs. And anyone who has slipped and fallen truly appreciates the cushioning it provides. The best material for stair carpeting is nylon, followed by wool. The friction of a foot sliding and pressing on each step creates heat, which is not good for polyester or olefin fibers. Natural fibers tend not to recover their height well, especially with the constant traffic stairs get. Carpeting should be applied the same as runners—with cushioning and carpet tacked to the floor or cushioning tacked to the floor and carpeting glued to that pad. Look for the lay of the carpet (the direction the fibers run) and have it run top to bottom for easier cleaning with, instead of against, the grain. Envision sweeping dirt down and out the door. Just as with runners, the cost of carpeting varies widely, depending on the quality of carpet you choose and the type of stairs you have, whether they’re straight and simple, with turns, have decorative spindles, etc. If your stairs have exposed areas outside the spindles, your carpet will require specialized cutting and installation. Walker recommends adding a strip of duct tape on the bullnose area of the cushion to help prevent it from breaking down. Don’t use duct tape on cushioning seams, however, as it will cause the rest of the cushioning to break down more easily. If your risers and treads form a 90-degree angle instead of having a rounded edge, consider nailing a piece of half-round molding the width of the stairs. “Tufted carpet was not meant to be bent that way and then get the abrasion of foot sliding across that,” Walker says. Maintenance: Regular vacuuming or sweeping is the best way to lengthen the life of your carpet. Spot clean soiled areas as soon as spills occur to avoid long-lasting stains. Safety: Avoid wearing slippers or other soft-soled shoes on carpeted stairs, as they make it too easy for you to slip. If anyone with bifocals or poor eyesight lives in the home, it’s best to avoid patterned carpet.

...Continued - Page 3 of 3 ( 1 2 3 )
< Previous Page