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Making Your Stairs Safer {DIY Home Project}

One of the things I love about our new home is the hardwood floors. Our stairs are made of the same beautiful wood, and I love them. It wasn’t until one day that I opened the window by the stairs on a rainy day that I realized hardwood floor stairs are also dangerous- very slippery when wet. I was walking down the stairs and almost went flying headfirst down 13 stairs into a cement reinforced foundation wall, and the fact that I didn’t take the weight off my back foot yet was probably the only thing that prevented it.

So I installed these stair treads:

stairs after treads-2

Before…dangerous stairs:

unsafe stairs

I had nightmares of my sons trying to walk up or down those steps after someone left the window open on another rainy day, and I knew I had to do something about them. Would it look weird to carpet stairs in a house with all hardwood floors? Is there something I could put on the stairs to add traction? I asked online for help (of course) and my friend Karen suggested I try stair treads. It was the first time I ever heard of them, and I’m so glad I did because it was exactly what I needed.

diy stairs safer

Stair treads are small stair carpets that are attached to each step to prevent accidental slips, by adding some traction and covering that slippery hardwood surface. I shopped around online (of course) for attractive stairs treads, and found some in a pretty pattern that I thought would add something to, and even enhance, the overall look. Based on reviews, I knew I should also pick up carpet adhesive to reinforce them so they don’t shift on the stairs, and glad I did that too, because they slid around quite a bit.

diy stairs safer-3

All I needed was the stair treads, carpet adhesive, measuring tape, scissors, and a DIY spirit, and I was able to easily install the stair treads myself, and make our home stairs safer for my family.

stairs after treads




  • Mickey

    Great idea! We rented a vacation home earlier this year and I was so worried about the kids slipping on their wood stairs.

  • This is so neat, I wish we had heard about these at our old home would have saved many a fall!

  • That is a brilliant idea. We don’t have stairs, but I can only imagine how dangerous they can be with little ones.

  • I miss the hardwood floors we put in our old home. Someday we will be able to upgrade this one!

  • Hardwood floors are very beautiful if well taken care of, but I agree they can be dangerous when they get wet. Kudos to you for being proactive and keeping your family safe! You did a great job installing the stair treads.

  • Wow it looks great! I will admit I like the look of real wood, but I prefer a safer stair case too 🙂

  • I think it turned out beautifully. I like the idea of the stair treads as opposed to full on carpet covering the stairs.

  • That was one of the things that scared me about my daughter’s last house. She had a huge long flight of stairs up to the master bedroom and I would watch her come down them in sock feet and just cringe until she reached the bottom safely.

    I love what you did with yours!

  • Penelope

    Me too! I’d walk with pantyhose on and feel so scared, so my sons walking in their socks terrified me (of course, I still guide them up and down because I’m so scared, but they wouldn’t have tolerated that forever, lol)

  • This is such a good idea to prevent slips and it also adds some character to the stairs!

  • What a great idea and they look beautiful much better than carpeting the whole stairs you still get to enjoy the wood.

  • What a great idea that is both safe and eye catching. Our stairs are carpeted (meh) and such a pain to vacuum.

  • I’ve never heard of those. Looks pretty neat. Will they leave gunk on the floor when you are ready to take them off?

  • Penelope

    I don’t think so, when I had to redo a part that wasn’t straight and I pulled it up there wasn’t anything there (it came off cleanly) and it doesn’t seem that sticky- mainly just for safety to make sure the tread doesn’t slip around. But over time it may leave gunk, sometimes it takes a while to really stick.

  • Donna

    They didn’t take away from the all wood floor/stairs at all… in fact, they enhanced them, I think. Very practical and very pretty.

  • Oh how gorgeous!!! I love your stairs, and those mats are so pretty!

  • That’s a great idea! Your stairs still look beautiful and now it’s safer. I have carpeted stairs and still worry about falling…

  • Mellisa

    We don’t currently have stairs but if we move into a home that has them these would be on the top of my to get list.

  • What a great idea. I have slipped on wooden stairs before and it hurt so bad.

  • I need to bookmark these – I’m dying to replace the berber we have on our stairs and 2nd floor. I was thinking of having a carpeted runner made if we did put in wood stairs, but this would probably be MUCH more affordable.

  • What a great idea! These look so good. Great job!