This or That: Carpeted or timber stairs?

9 år sedan

senast redigerad:7 år sedan

In your home, which kinds of stairs would you choose - the softness and warmth of carpet, or the clean lines and natural look of timber?
Please explain why in the comments below...

Why not wallpaper the stairs? · Mer info

Carpet

Timber

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zweiback

9 år sedan

I fell down 11 wood stairs onto a linoleum floor as a kid, dressed in my mother's high heels and my long nightgown - and STILL I prefer wood over carpet! :D I love my Ben Moore Maple Leaf red stairs so much that I can't help but take the occasional self-portrait! (Sorry, its sideways - darned iphone!)

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Kommentarer (78)

User
9 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 9 år sedan
Looking forward to no-carpeted stairs in our house :-) @Nansdrew I feel the same way :-)
carrolynb
9 år sedan
Does anybody have suggestions of how to uncarpet and re-finish the particle board stairs in my average spec house? Do I have to pay $30 each for new hardwood treads or is there a cheaper way to go?
User
9 år sedan
I tried to research this a little today and I could not find anything that definitively stated one material was better than another for safety. It was all about how stairs were constructed, lighted, and how the person did or did not use the hand rails.

Personally I like carpet better because I am a bit clumsy and have fallen "up" the stairs...which is painful when your shin hits that sharp edge. But from reading up on it, well constructed wood treads can be very safe.

Some suggestions were to paint lines at the edge of treads. Good lighting - same intensity as surrounding areas. Well constructed hand rails.
User
9 år sedan
Carolynb - no there is not a cheaper way to go. You have to put something over the particle board.
krf9
9 år sedan
I prefer wood, however we ended up carpeting them due to cost.
kooch
9 år sedan
I saw a neat solution that combined both carpet and wood, the treads had wood on both sides, and then carpet installed that looks like a runner. It's safe, and looks like hardwood floors at less cost. And when worn out you can just replace the carpet!
hmarney
9 år sedan
Fyi product called" folex " works like a charm to take out carpet stains in a jiffy. I didn't believe it until I tried it last month. Also works in ither fabrics, upholstery etc. Cheap!!
alcoveinteriorsatx
9 år sedan
Wood - I have found no matter how fabulous your vacuum is it is an incredible hassle cleaning the stairs with it. :)
Kim White
9 år sedan
Being a person that has slid down wood stairs, I can honestly say half and half. I have wood stairs but I added a very cool runner still allowing you to see the wood.
Nancy
9 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 9 år sedan
timber stairs look beautiful, but having fallen down both timer and carpeted stairs, I would choose carpeted anyday. Also, having a husband who leaves very very very early in the morning, carpeted stairs are much quieter.
alwaysdesigning
9 år sedan
I like carpet to cut down on the noise and the necessary refinishing to beat up wood treads
susanb92
9 år sedan
I agree with the comment above. Thankfully I haven't fallen down the stairs, so I can't give an opinion on which surface hurts less. I've attached a picture of our stairs...carpet can be interesting too!
jlshown
9 år sedan
No Carpet, runner is okay, I have Tibetan terriers it's easier to clean a runner...
kippieco
9 år sedan
I have carpeted stairs and I hate them! Wood is much more appealing and cleaner!
blynette
9 år sedan
We used to have carpet. It was a vacuuming nightmare. We replaced the carpet with hardwood several years ago. Now all they require is a quick sweep.
smarterthandog
9 år sedan
A simple oversight like a stray sock on wood stairs is a slip hazard. And you need grip stickers in the bathtub and non-slip tiles in wet areas. Most accidents happen in the home.
PRO
MyDesignSource
9 år sedan
Aesthetically speaking we would go with the clean look of wood stairs. That being said, carpet would be more practical when it comes to "slippery stairs" and comfort. If you do decide on wood stairs, there are many types of grip tapes you can get that are almost impossible to notice and make wood stairs safer. Good luck!
makaloco
9 år sedan
I'd sooner have wood stairs with grip stickers than carpet.
PRO
Studio M Interior Design
9 år sedan
Wood stairs with a fun, custom made runner :)
PRO
Fay Jones Day Tile
9 år sedan
Those wood stairs are beautiful. But if you fell down them Ouch!
Ingrif
9 år sedan
I'm switching from builder carpet to wood. My husband has cats and since he doesn't believe in declawing the carpet has become an eyesore that they use as a scratching post. And yes we have a scratching post but they prefer the stairs.
User
9 år sedan
When the carpet is gone, the cats will just switch to the furniture......a wood bench could replace the sofa too!
violeteve
9 år sedan
I grew up with carpet. I would get wood. Looks nicer and easier to clean. You can add a runner and there are options to hold runners in place. If I renovate I would get wood.
summilux
9 år sedan
Both wife and I have asthma, allergies and 2 indoor cats. So that's the practical reason for wood. Aesthetically, there's something about wood and how it plays with light.
Elaine Brady
9 år sedan
Definitely wood. I hate to clean carpet. I would use painted risers though, same as your trim, for an updated look.
Lee Weber
9 år sedan
Don't paint the risers. That is the more traditional option. Live the wood stairs I. Your picture. Several stairs with no railing however.
lorishopaholic
9 år sedan
Love wood stairs! I currently have wood stairs and having had carpeted stairs before and small children the wood is much better! Our carpet wore a path very quickly and was hard to keep clean. The wood is simple to clean and no wear path. Our stairs are not slippery at all. As for looks the wood has a clean elegant look that you just can't get with carpet.
User
9 år sedan
I bet Ruth voted for the carpet!
Nancy
9 år sedan
hmmmmm....
PRO
Eskandari Stone
9 år sedan
I prefer carpeted stairs because there is no risk of slipping on them.
Momof5x
9 år sedan
Carpeted stairs help cushion falls likely to happen at times- missing that last step being an annoying example! Having said that as much as I prefer them in my home, I can't as the stairs were built beautifully but the possibility is there though which is good.
User
9 år sedan
In case Ruth shows up, I want to play a song for her;)
granny4ten
9 år sedan
Been in my house 27 year...3 different carpets and have always hated them. They get worn out and dirty so fast. I'm in the process of ripping it out and replacing it with stone.
PRO
Allan Rug Company
9 år sedan
Here at Allan Rug Company we install stair runners from your choice of hundreds of designs and fabrics. Here are some examples of what our clients choose. We also do flooring as well.
PRO
Studio NOO Design
9 år sedan
Timber looks better and so much more easy care !
Alison
9 år sedan
Stairs and I have never gotten along so I like having all the friction that I can get. Whether it's carpet, or treads, or whatever I would never have just bare wood stairs.
User
9 år sedan
It depends on your situation. Small kids or elderly parents living with you, carpet of some kind for its traction and (somewhat) "soft landing". Adults with different sleeping times, carpet because its quiet. But otherwise, I'd go with timber, because carpeting gets dirty, quickly, and timber is easier to clean.
jenny
9 år sedan
I like carpet for stairs I use often because I have the tendancy to slip on hardwood stairs
PRO
VCS Solid Timber Floors
7 år sedan
I have read a lot of comments on timber being slippery but no much mention of what can be done about it. There are some really good Anti-slip coatings that can be applied to timber stairs. If you have a polyurethane coating, Bona have an Anti-slip coating available rated at P3. For Hardwax Oils, OSMO provide and Anti-slip Oil that achieves an R11 rating. There are products out there that can help you get the look you want without compromising on safety.

BONA Traffic HD Anti-slip Link:

http://vcssolidtimberfloors.com/special-traffic-anti-slip.html

OSMO Anti-slip Extra Link:

http://osmoperth.com/store/c8/OILS_FOR_ANTI_SLIP.html
PRO
Civic Steel Homes
7 år sedan
We are a big fan of open tread stairs where possible for airflow and views.
carseldine · Mer info
Luke Buckle thanked Civic Steel Homes
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Tsar Carpets
7 år sedan
Definitely go wooded with a stair runner. Beautiful!
Opudot Charcoal · Mer info

Astoria Peacock Blue · Mer info

Custom Geometric Stair Runner · Mer info
PRO
Persian Carpet Gallery
7 år sedan
That is beautiful runner for stairs
PRO
Todd C Pearce & Co.
7 år sedan
I think timber looks good especially when the lower floor is timber too - I was on the fence on this one - however just tipped over on the carpet camp for noise and slip resistance reasons. I often do the bottom couple of treads in timber then the rest in carpet to get the best of both worlds - I've also used carpetted treads with timber risers - so join the two materials between floors (assuming there is carpet on one of the floors of course - often the case if say the 1st floor is bedrooms etc)
User
7 år sedan
Carpet is always a lovely option for stairs. It's easier on the body (being softer underfoot) and can act as a fantastic noise insulator, reducing any ambient noise or scraping noises. Studies have shown noise reduction of up to 55% where carpet is used. Noise pollution can significantly impact on your health, comfort and productivity. Carpet (especially wool carpet) dramatically improves the acoustics of busy spaces, absorbing sound and softening the volume.
PRO
Overflow Carpets
7 år sedan
Carpet will enhance the beauty and comfort under foot. It will also insulate your home from cold in winter and excessive heat in summer. Save money on your energy bills with carpet.
annb1997
7 år sedan
My parents' old house had a wonderful oak front staircase that my six siblings and I used to race up and down, taking them two or three at a time, with only a casual hold on the railing. I don't know how we managed to never slip or fall. Now, the timber backstairs were steep, and had narrow treads and were poorly lit. We NEVER ran up or down them, but held tightly to the railing and hoped to heck we managed to stay upright.

As an adult, my previous home had carpeted stairs, which I slipped on (wearing socks) and fell down twice, though thankfully I was closer to the bottom than the top. My current home has timber stairs with three narrow stainless steel runners stood on edge and inset horizontally across the front of each tread (this is supposed to help reduce risk of slips). I doubt I will get over the anxiety of taking another tumble, so I never go down them wearing socks, and if barefoot, I hold onto the railing for dear life and take it nice and slow. So far so good.
ishabelle2
7 år sedan
I had stairs with carpet in my last home and after a year of struggling with the absolute hassle of vacuuming them I ripped out the carpet and discovered beautiful varnished stairs beneath! They were so easy to sweep or wipe clean and when it came to tripping/slipping, if you always hang on to the regulatory hand rail, there is very little risk of this happening. My new house (that I'm currently having built) will definitely have timber stairs to the upper floor!
94236633
7 år sedan
Definitely carpet. Yes, it's a pain to vacuum but stairs can be dangerous and I would not even contemplate wooden ones. Maybe ok for young professionals, no kids, who don't drink much.
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Alliance Robes
7 år sedan
The wood staircase looks beautiful but for practicality especially for children and seniors I feel carpet is the way to go
Jennifer Bradley
6 år sedan
For me it's also about noise - short staircases within living spaces are fine in timber - if you're going from ground floor to bedroom floor, the clatter of timber can be a problem.

This or That: Carpeted or timber stairs?

Kommentarer (78)

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