When living in a multistorey home, your staircase is bound to see regular action as you and your family move about the house. While stairways are incredibly useful, they also present a unique set of risks for those that aren’t careful. Stair safety begins with always concentrating when navigating them, and never rushing up or down too fast.
These are only basic stair safety tips, however, as there are other problems that may present themselves as you try to keep your family safe around your staircase. Rather than waiting too long and risk having yourself or a loved one injuring themselves, there are steps you can put into place today to keep your home safe now and into the future.
At ASBIR, we provide the house inspection service you can count to ensure your property is safe and free from damage and infestation. Give us a call on 1300 553 007, send an email to info@asbir.com.au, or request a free quote to get started.
The Best Safety Tips for Stairs
Install Carpet
We have all had experiences with slippery flooring, either due to the material used or wayward spills. An easy way to mitigate these risks and increase stair safety is to install carpet both on the stairs and the landings both above and below. The extra grip that carpet provides reduces the danger of slipping on the flooring and tumbling down the staircase, while the texture of carpet ensures it absorbs any liquids that are spilt onto it.
Use Stair Nosing
Stair nosing not only provides your stairs with a visually appealing finish, but it also ensures your edges are smoothed over. This reduces the level of wear and tear on your staircase, which often increases the risk of tripping. One of our favourite safety tips for stairs, stair nosing often comes in clearly visible colours like white to help people easily notice where the edges of stairs are, so they avoid slipping and tripping over them.
Install a Plexiglass Bannister Guard
When you have young children in the house, stair safety should be one of your biggest priorities. Even with bannisters surrounding the staircase, small children are still at risk of slipping through the gaps and either falling or getting stuck. Plexiglass eliminates this risk, blocking off these gaps while still allowing you to enjoy your regular balustrades. Keep your plexiglass clean and well-maintained, and you’ll forget it’s even there.
Use a Safety Gate
Whether you have young children, or your home regularly plays host to the children of family and friends, one of the most vital safety tips for stairs is to install a safety gate. These gates, which should be installed both at the bottom and top of staircases, prevent small children from being able to access the stairs. Avoid gates that feature large gaps, as children can still fit through these, and keep these gates locked at all times when not in use.
Keep the Staircase Well-Lit
Most of the above stair safety tips are pointless during the night if the staircase does not have adequate lighting. Fumbling around on the stairs in the dark often results in missteps and tripping, which can end in injury or worse. Every staircase in your home should have a light installed to provide clear visibility of the space even in the middle of the night. Light switches should also be installed both at the top and bottom of staircases to increase safety.
Organise an Inspection
While there are many ways to keep your family safe around staircases, it is important to contact the experts to make sure your stairs are always kept in the best possible condition. At ASBIR, we provide Brisbane building and pest inspections to make sure your home is structurally safe and sound.
Improve Your Stair Safety Today!
By hiring the services of a professional building inspector, you are gifting yourself ultimate peace of mind that your home is structurally safe for you and your family. We deliver easy-to-read reports that provide helpful advice on how to improve the safety of your property, including the staircases.
Along with inspecting pre-existing properties, we also provide building stage inspections to assist throughout the entire construction process. If you’re ready to get started with our extensive services, request a free quote, send an email to info@asbir.com.au, or give us a call on 1300 553 007.
