How to Make Your Stairs Safer
Safety is more important than ever in this day and age. Nobody wants to see their loved ones hurt from slipping, tripping or falling down the stairs. The question remains, though, how can you make your stairs safer without turning your house into an institutionalized-looking fortress? Here are a number of tips on just how to accomplish this.
Add Light
Adding additional lighting to your stairwell is an easy way to make it all the safer for those going up and down. Consider adding extra lighting on the ceiling, along the base of the stairs themselves, or even installing lighting under the handrails. LED lighting strips are inexpensive and easy to install.
Add Traction
Regardless of whether you have carpeting on your stairs, add traction to them with rubber guard mats. These come in a variety of colors and styles and greatly cut down on the chance for accidents resulting from slipping. They’re also very inexpensive.
Keep Them Clear
Do you have a bad habit of stacking things on the side of the stairs that need to make their way up or down “when you get around to it?” Break that habit! Keep your stairs free and clear of clutter and debris. This doesn’t cost you a thing to do and will greatly improve safety.
Visible Safety
For those staircases where it’s difficult to install more light, or even where you just want some extra safety, try reflective strips along the edges of your stairs. These may not be the most aesthetically stylish addition, but especially for basement stairways, they can be a great option for improved safety.
Solid Colors
Everyone likes unique and colorful patterns, but putting them on your stairs can create an optical illusion that runs together in such a way as to make it hard to see where one stair ends and the next begins. Avoid busy patterns and colors and make sure that each stair is clearly visible.
Iron Banisters
Every stairwell should have a banister or handrail. There are no exceptions to this rule. This is the single most important thing you can do to make your staircase safer. While considering options for your banister, think about going with a handcrafted wrought-iron handrail. These can be made in a variety of colors and styles to suit any decorative theme or taste. Not only will they improve safety, they’ll add a touch of class and style to your home. Just make sure they’re always tightly and properly anchored and secured! If you think that adding an iron handrail or banister to your staircase might be a good option, AR Iron offers a broad variety of custom-made options. Take a look at some of the range of ornamental iron services that we offer, and feel free to give us a call for more information, answers to all your questions, or to request a quote today.
