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5 Tips For Picking Flooring For Your Stairs

Whilst most of us view our staircase as little more than a means to an end, it can actually play a significant role in boosting the visual appeal of your home. If you’re in the process of renovating or building a home, you need to think carefully about what sort of flooring treatment will be the best fir for your stairs. Here are our top 5 tips for making the right choice:

1. Carefully consider carpeting
   Carpeting is a hugely popular flooring choice for a number of reasons – it’s soft and therefore easier on the feet, it’s quiet, it’s affordable and there is a wide range of colour and pattern choices available. If you want to ensure maximum durability and longevity, however, ensure that you pick a low profile, densely woven wool carpet (they tend to hold up the best).
    
2. Pay attention to visual continuity
   Visual continuity is important when choosing your stair flooring, as it can greatly impact how your home will flow between spaces. A carpeted staircase in a house where both the upstairs and downstairs have hardwood floors, for example, might seem out of place. In this case, you might want to consider using a runner instead.
    
3. Make safety a priority
   Whilst bare hardwood stairs are stunning and easy to clean, it’s important to keep in mind that they can also be very slippery. This can pose a significant safety hazard, particularly for small children and the elderly. As we touched on earlier, you could add a carpet runner (in tones that match the flooring) to improve the level of safety.
    
4. Get creative at landing areas
   If your home has switchback stairs (such as U-shaped), this structural element can actually be used to create an attention-grabbing visual feature. You could, for example, carpet the upper portion of the stairs, keep the hardwood flooring on the landing and then continue with carpeting the lower portion of the flight.
    
5. Prioritise the view from the lower level
   Keep in mind that the view from the bottom of the stairs – not the top – is going to have the most visual impact. As such, be sure to weigh your options in light of what will best complement the existing flooring on the bottom level. Whilst the view from the top is important, it’s a view that very few visitors will ever get to see.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to decide what flooring choice is best for your stairs, which is why we hope that the above tips have helped you reach some sort of decision. The good news is that Gowling Stairs is here to help – whether you are interested in hardwood floors, carpeting or even a runner, we can help you to bring your ideas to life.