How to Make Basement Stairs Safer
Making your basement stairs safe is a relatively easy task that can make it significantly less likely that someone will fall and get injured. There are a few basic things you can do to make your basement stairs safer, including adding fences, putting up warning signs, and keeping the stairs clear of clutter.
You may also want to consider using a tread kit to cover the exposed edges of your stairs. This can also prevent slippage, especially on stairs with a lot of traffic or that are wet. Stairs outside can be particularly hazardous because they get icy in winter.
These kits are easy to install and remove when you need to use your stairs for something other than entering or exiting your basement. They are also relatively inexpensive, so you may want to invest in one even if your stairs are currently reasonably safe. In this blog post, we will go over how to make basement stairs safer.
Step to Follow on How to Make Basement Stairs Safer
Step One : Determine
The first step is to figure out what kind of stairs are in your basement. There are three main types of basement stairs: closed risers, traditional open risers, and spiral stairs. Open riser stairs are the most dangerous, while closed riser stairs are the safest.
Unfortunately, If you have traditional open riser stairs, these will be the most dangerous ones to use. These can cause someone to fall off the stairs and land on their head, resulting in a severe injury. However, if you do not want to close your staircase or if your staircase is used for other reasons, you can use a few tricks to improve the safety of your basement stairs.
It is always best to have open riser stairs because these are the most dangerous. Closed risers have a track that holds all of your steps together, so they cannot be pulled out or put back in. This will help in how to make basement stairs safer.
Step Two : Cut New Tread Blocks
First, you need to cut down the top of your steps so they are not as tall. This makes it harder for someone to fall off the stairs and will make it easier to know where their feet should go without slipping off. Another way you can improve safety is by cutting new wood tread blocks which have a lip at the front of them.
This lip will prevent anyone from slipping off the stairs and give them more stability as they walk up. The lip should be about 1/2 inch high and have a beveled edge so that it does not catch anyone’s feet as they walk up the stairs.
Take out all of your steps from your staircase and put the new tread blocks in where you will need them next to one another with a 1/2 inch gap in between each block. After you have put them in, nail them to stay in place. When people walk up the stairs, they must see these tread blocks because this will keep them from falling off the steps.
Step Three : Install the Tread Blocks
After you have cut down your steps and put in the tread blocks, it is essential to put these entirely throughout the staircase to make it easy for people to see when they walk up. In addition, these tread blocks should be visible right when someone enters the basement so that they know where to go without slipping off of the stairs or tripping on them.
Place the tread blocks so that they are 1/2 inch away from the edge of each step, and then nail them into place. Once you have finished putting all your tread blocks in, put the steps back into their tracks. It is important to test out your stairs by walking up and down them several times before it starts dark because this might be the only way people can see where they are going.
If you have carpets or rugs in your basement, it is essential to get rid of them because they will catch on people’s feet. This can cause them to lose their balance and fall off of the staircase. These steps should help you in learning how to make basement stairs safer.
Step Four : Build a Landing
Building a landing is a good idea if you want to make your staircase even safer. This will allow people to easily stop themselves from falling off of the stairs and will also give them somewhere flat to put their feet so they do not slip. But, to build a landing for your basement stairs, figure out exactly where you want it to be.
This should be somewhere in the middle so that people have a safe place to rest and put down their things when they get to your basement. So first, build up a small wall around where you want it to go, then cut out a section of the floor underneath it just big enough for one step to fit into.
After this, cut another piece of wood that is the same size but only covers about half of the step inside. This will give people a place to put their feet so they do not slip off the stairs with something in their hands when they walk down them.
Step Five : Install New Landing Steps
Once you have your landing built, it is important to get some new steps that go along with it. You do not want these to be too high, or people will trip when they walk up to them. To keep the height down, cut out a section of each step just like you did for the landing so that one step fits into the other.
After this, fix the steps in place and ensure they are secure so there is no movement when you walk up to them. These steps should be easy to spot because they will be different from the rest of your basement stairs, which people might take for granted while walking down them.
Many people who use basement stairs do not realize they are a safety hazard until it is too late and someone gets seriously hurt. To avoid this, you can install bright color tread blocks in the middle of each step to make them easy to see. All of this information will help you learn how to make basement stairs safer.
Step Six : Maintain Your Stairs
Anyone who uses basement stairs is in danger of tripping and falling when wet or dark. Make sure this does not happen; it is important to keep the rest of your stairway dry and well-lit so that people can see where they are going. If you have any rugs on the ground surrounding the stairs, then it is time to take them up, or they will get wet when someone walks through your basement.
To keep the stairs lit up, you should put some light source at both ends so people can see where they are going when it starts dark. This might be something like a lamp so that there is enough light in your basement when people come up or down the stairs.
Always have a flashlight on hand just in case of any problems with your lights so you can easily see where you are going when it gets dark. People who use basement stairs every day should always take care of them because they will be the most likely to get hurt if they are not safe to use.
The basement stairs can pose a serious safety hazard if they are not properly maintained. To make them safer, you can install some color tread blocks in the middle of each step, so people can easily see where they are going when it gets dark. You can also build a landing to give people somewhere to rest in the middle of their walk down. Always make sure the stairs are dry and well lit.
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Conclusion
If you’re interested in learning more about making your basement stairs safer, or if you would like to find out what other safety hazards may exist that could endanger the lives of those living within a home with this type of staircase, please get in touch with us.
We are dedicated to providing homeowners with information on improving their homes and creating safe environments for themselves and their loved ones. The conclusion paragraph is informative and provides information on how to make basement stairs safer.
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