I had the off-white carpeting on the steps covered with a clear plastic runner in order to keep them clean and reduce the appearance of wear and tear. I want to remove the plastic runner and replace it with a cover on each individual step. The covering can be clear plastic or a thin tread. I've seen the flat braided stair tread used on hard wood stairs. Something similar is fine but I need to be able to instal it on top of carpet and not significantly change the height of the step.