Stair Carpet Safety
Whenever I mention stair carpet safety to home builders, I usually get one reaction. What are you talking about and who really cares anyway. This might be their attitude at first, but when I'm finally done explaining the situation to them, their attitude, usually changes.
Stair carpet safety might not sound like a big deal, until you actually slip and slide down the staircase. Hopefully you won't get injured, but that should be your first attention getter. Make sure that you understand how dangerous different types of carpeting can be, if installed on a particular type of stairway.
Carpet Safety And Stairway Construction
If you haven't built the stairs yet, now would be the perfect time to
figure out a plan to carpet the stairway and provide as much safety as
possible. Even though it's hard to slip on a stairway with a low pile
carpeting, it's still possible.
I've met plenty of professional stair builders and designers who don't
know the first thing about carpeting and how different flooring
installations can affect the staircase. If you're going to use a
flooring material that's 1 inch thick and carpeting that's only a
half-inch thick, there's going to be a half-inch difference, in your
first or last stair riser.
Big deal, what's a half-inch. It might not be a big deal to everyone,
but some people subconsciously prepare themselves for the next step.
This could create a safety problem and actually cause someone to trip
and fall.
Remember, it only takes one accident, to ruin someone's life, both
physically, mentally and financially. If I can provide some one with
enough information to prevent even one accident from happening, this
information would make my day.
What Type Of Carpeting Should I Use To Increase Safety?
A carpeting that is between 3/8 of an inch and 3/4 inch, should work
great, however, smaller industrial carpeting could actually reduce the
amount of traction, on the stairways steps. If you're going to install
thicker carpeting, you could actually create a step that will grab your
shoes every once in a while, depending upon which type of shoes you're
actually wearing.
It's sad, but I've seen plenty of stairways that were built with
slippery stair treads, in high-traffic areas, like shopping malls and
commercial buildings. If you're interested in safety and reducing
personal injury, make sure that you get as much information as you
possibly can, about stair carpet safety.
Back To - Stairs / Stair Treads