How To Make Wooden Stairs Safer

How To Make Wooden Stairs Safer

Even though wooden stairs make businesses appear more welcoming and attractive, they can also be very dangerous. Wood can become very slippery, especially when it is wet or there is mold or any signs of corrosion. Compared to other surfaces in your business, wood stairs require more than just being cleaned and maintained. To avoid any future accidents, extra precaution should be taken to ascertain that there is sufficient traction that makes your stairs completely safe for use. Here is a list of some topics that can be of use:

Tip #1: Install A Carpet

A common way to make stairs less slippery is by installing a carpet. Carpets provide traction to the surface, and can also add more appeal to the overall decor of your home. When choosing a carpet, you have two options: stair runners or carpet stair treads. Stair runners are pieces of carpet that run down your stairs but don’t cover the full width of each stair. They cover each stair tread’s full depth, protect the wood from damage, and reduce noise. On the other hand, Carpet stair treads are individual pieces of carpet that you can place separately on each stair.

Tip #2: Use Anti-Slip Screw Down Stair Treads (GripStrips)

If you have ever noticed the stairwell of a commercial building before, you have probably seen a thick black grip tape on each stair. Although traditional anti-slip stair treads prevent slipping, you might not find them to be the most aesthetically pleasing or the most durable. Luckily enough, you can opt for GripStrips for your business. These anti-slip screw down treads add a slight roughness to the surface of each stair, but are also extremely durable and very easy to install.

Tip #3: Apply an Anti-Slip Floor Finish

Anti-slip floor finish is a liquid solution that you can apply to your wood stairs to make the surfaces less slippery. The finish comes in the form of paint or clear coating. There are tiny particles in the coating that help to add friction to wood but aren’t noticeable. A huge advantage that it has is that it not only helps make your stairs less slippery, but you also don’t have to worry about sacrificing the beauty of natural hardwoods.

Tip #4: Make Sure Your Stairs Are Up to Code

Accidents can usually happen on stairs if they are either too old or no longer meet today’s building codes. This can potentially put you and everyone else in your home at risk. It is highly recommended to measure each dimension to make sure that your stairs fulfill today’s code.

Below are the exact measurements required to meet today’s code:
– Stairway width: 36 inches wide
– Stair riser height: 7 ¾ – 7⅜ inches tall
– Tread depth: 10 – 10 ⅜ inches
– Headroom: 6 feet and 8 inches
– Handrails: 4.5 inches (from the wall) and 34 – 38 inches (from the landing of each stair)

If you would like to be more precautious in improving the condition of your wooden stairs and protecting the safety of your employees and customers, reach out to us at GripStrip! We provide easy and effective DIY solutions for safer stairs that are catered to your needs, including individual stair treadsanti-slip stair treads, and GripStrips for stairsVisit us today!