Non Slip Tread options for Staircases
When choosing a bespoke staircase with hardwood treads, customers are often concerned as to whether the staircase will be more slippery than traditional carpeted treads.
Although, uniquely, most of the stairs in the UK are carpeted, hardwood tread staircases are no more slippery and, in many cases, are safer.
Even if you’re still concerned, don’t worry, there are solutions available in the form of non-slip tread details.
All the staircases at Complete Stair Systems Ltd are available with a range of non-slip tread details from traditional grooves in the tread nosing, through to ultra-modern twin non-slip stainless steel strips. We even offer etched non-slip patterns on our Model 76 spiral staircase acrylic or glass treads and provide building regulations compliant visually contrasting nosing for our commercial clients.
Read on to find out more:
Advantages of non-slip tread details
There are some key benefits to adding a non-slip tread detail to the specification of your new staircase:
Visually reassuring:
When planning and designing your new bespoke staircase, it is not just important that it is safe, but it should also feel safe.
Having a non-slip tread detail can give confidence to the user of a bespoke staircase, knowing that they have some protection if they slip on the stair. This is not only important for deriving best value from your investment in your new staircase but is also a consideration for building regulations.
With all our staircase models, there is a high degree of flexibility available in designing a non-slip tread detail, allowing us to deliver to all our customers exactly what they need to feel comfortable in using their new staircase.
A non-slip detail can also be especially helpful to those who are visually impaired, as it provides an obvious demarcation of the edge of each tread.
Improved Safety:
Whilst it is important that the staircase looks safe, it is equally important that it is safe.
Non-slip tread details aren’t just visually reassuring, they also have a functional purpose which is to break a skid, in the rare instance that you should slip when waling up or down the staircase. This is achieved through the contrasting surface creating a change in surface friction, allowing the user to regain their footing.
An affordable solution…
Whilst non-slip tread details often involve using expensive materials such as stainless steel, and require fine carpentry work to create, they are surprisingly affordable. The exact cost will depend on the size of the stair, the complexity of the design of the non-slip detail, and the materials used. For example, brass or copper lattice work will cost much more than stainless steel strips.
As a guide, on a typical staircase, a more standard non-slip tread detail can cost from as little as £250 – 300 for the whole flight. When considering the safety benefits offered, this becomes an even smaller price to pay.
