Alternatives to stair carpets

[cf-leeds]

SWMBO wants a new stair carpet, as the current one is worse for wear. This is the only carpet we have in the house, as the rest of the house is tiled, or solid wood floored.

I'm relectant to replace the stair carlet with yet another one, not least of all because I'll me made to take my shoues off to use the stairs :(

I'm looking for alternatives to carpet, e.g.

Painting the bare wooden stais with a floor paint - anyone done that ? Bad Idea ? Solid wood covering on stairs - could be tricky...

Use an alternative stair covering ? I'm sure they're out there......?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, or your own experiences of avoiding carpets.

C

[Tim Watts]

I'm interested too for the same reason :)

[Chris Hogg]

We have a wooden staircase, (American ash, lovely grain pattern) no carpet. From advice here many years ago, it was recommended that a couple of coats of oil-based Bourne Seal be used, the first coat diluted 50/50 with turps sub or white spirit so that it soaks well into the wood. This hardens the wood and makes it very wear resistant. That was 16 years ago and it's been very successful, but was applied to new wood. You will probably need to sand yours back down to the wood to remove traces of old paint, dirt etc.

But make sure you get the oil-based version, as I think they do a water-based one that wouldn't mix with the turps sub. This may be the oil-based stuff

but whether it's the same as was available 16 years ago, I've no idea. High in volatiles, I suspect, so it'll smell the house out for a while, and how you get up the stairs while you're waiting for it to dry, I'll leave to you to work out!

[Dan S. MacAbre]

What will you do where the top of the steps meet the floorboards on the landing? Or are you lucky enough to have real wooden floors there?

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Sand and stain? Certainly easier to vacuum compared to carpet.

'er took up carpet about 10 years ago and haven't got around to replacing it. Quite handy as we're going to replace the stairs as part of the extension.

No harm in living with it without any coving for a while and then deciding.

[Timothy Murphy]

Does anyone nowadays use a narrow stair carpet with stair rods? I haven't seen this for ages.

[damduck-egg]

You could go for an industrial style and replace the wooden stairs with cast iron ones for the victorian factory look

or modern style

G.Harman

[S Viemeister]

Easy. You do alternate treads. When the first lot are dry, you do the remaining ones.

[cf-leeds]

his is the only carpet we have in the house, as the rest of the house is ti led, or solid wood floored.

st of all because I'll me made to take my shoues off to use the stairs :(

It's a 1930s semi. The top step is a stairwell and then it a left turn to t he landing, which is sanded+varnished floorboards. We have stair-rods right now, and the current carpet is a strip down the middle of the stairs. The whole of the 1msq starwell at the top step is carpeted.

It's not so much the idea of a carpet I'm against, though as many of you wi ll understand, with a new carpet, SWMBO would be on a total mission to keep it perfect forever......

[Roger Mills]

If you're going industrial, why not clad the treads with aluminium checker plate. You're sure to be able to get some with a rounded front to go round the nose of the treads.

[News]

[Robin]

I feel aluminium "treadplate" is a slip hazard - especially where it could become polished through use. Better IMHO to go for GRP - which offers the option of yellow nosings for enhanced visibility too ;)

eg

[Robin]

Plenty of Victorian houses with stair rods and "runners" in London and plenty of stock in shops.

[spuorgelgoog]

Wooden stairs always seem even noisier than wooden floors. Possibly because they often have resonant cavities underneath them, of the gap between the stairs and the under-stair boarding (if present) and the understairs cupboard.

People also tend to tread heavily on stairs.

I would stick with stair rods and carpet strip. You may be able to get a second-hand stairlift cheaply, which you can ride on and keep your feet off the carpet :-)

Owain

[damduck-egg]

When I was small around 1961 ish a family friend we visited had such a carpet with BEA in the pattern at regular intervals. He worked on aircraft maintenance at Heathrow.

G.Harman

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They also look tatty to me if stripped and varnished, etc. Unlike floorboards. Don't really know why one looks fine to me but the other not. ;-)

Purpose made solid wood ones, a different matter.

I'd also be worried about grip.

Given the small extra cost I'd go for a fitted stair carpet. But you do need a decent quality one to last.

[Tim Streater]

This is a very important safety point. My feet went from under me some

15 years ago on the neighbour's nice wooden staircase and me wearing rubber-soled shoes (which as it turned out had gone smooth). Only injury sprained thumb but it's not been right since.

[Brian Gaff]

Nothing works if you don't want creeks and footfall sounds if people use them at night. We had some stuff in the70s called cushionfloor. It was fine at first but it started to stretch and was dangerous if wet.

What you need is a carpet whos colour is the same as the muck. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Also of course if you have a dog, most non carpet solutions can end in disaster. Brian

[polygonum]

The other week I was in an almost-built new house. The stairs had perfectly decent stringers in some softwood and treads in very heavy MDF. Incredibly solid feeling and virtually no noise even at that stage. Quite surprised! Obviously would need to be fully carpeted or otherwise covered.