How You Can Make Your Staircase Safer

One of the main areas of consideration when you're planning a new staircase will be the design or the aesthetic look. Often the safety aspects can be overlooked until it's too late, resulting in increased costs and wasted time. Whatever style of stairs you're installing, from straight to spiral staircases, you need to ensure that you're covering off the key safety features.

Stair Treads

The material used on the stair treads and the texture this creates can help to make the stairs safer. Even if you have an awkward size or shape of tread, you can find mats or covers that are cut to fit the exact dimensions. This will reduce the risk of people slipping, but it's important that they're fitted securely.

Lighting

Staircases can be in dimly lit or dark parts of the house, which can also impact on their safe use. It's helpful to install bright ceiling lights above the stairwell so that people can see exactly where they're going. If you want to add another dimension to the look of your stairs, you can use lights that are fitted into the steps. There are a variety of options, including motion-sensitive models and colour-changing bulbs.

Handrails

A sturdy handrail is a crucial feature of all types of stairs, including spiral staircases. These should be installed correctly to ensure that they are durable enough and be easy to hold on to for people of all abilities. Handrails can be extremely decorative, and you can bring in a number of different materials, such as metal or wood, to create a feature on the stairs. This can also be used for the balustrades, which enhance the look of the stairs whilst improving the stability of the handrail.

Keep the Stairs Clutter-Free

Many of us are guilty of using our stairs to place items on that we want to take up with us next time. This can seem convenient, but items left on the stairs can be exceptionally hazardous and result in serious trips or falls. Instead, you could have a small table or a shelf downstairs for bits that need to go upstairs, leading to a clear and safer staircase.

A new staircase can become a feature of your property and really bring the space to life. However, it's important that you don't lose sight of the safety elements when you're thinking about the design.