Pros and Cons of Carpet Stair Treads

Pro: Safety

• A finished hardwood floor stairway can be treacherous to anyone. If there is liquid on a hardwood stairway, someone could slip and fall. The rounded edges to a hardwood stairway make them a slipping hazard for older people and children. Carpet stair treads reduce that hazard and give everyone a place with traction to place their feet as they walk down the steps.

Pro: Decor

• Carpet stair treads can give some color to your stairway and make it stand out from the rest of your decor. You could also use carpet stair treads to tie together the rugs in the other rooms of your home by matching the treads to the colors of the rugs. If you have white walls along your stairway, white carpet treads can be used to tie the hardwood stairs in to the wall color.

Con: Cleaning

• When a hardwood stair step gets dirty or wet, it can be very easy to clean. When you add a carpet stair tread to a hardwood stairway, you have added something that grabs dirt and retains liquids. Vacuuming carpet stair treads can be tricky as you try to maneuver the vacuum to avoid damaging your walls and the hardwood step underneath. Stains can be difficult to get out and may cause you to have to replace your carpet stair treads. Odors from pets, cigars and any other unpleasant source can also be trapped by carpet stair treads.

Con: Hardwood Damage

• Proper installation of a carpet stair tread is done either by adhesive, nails or staples. In any event, you will sustain damage to the hardwood steps under the carpet. If you decide to remove the carpet treads later on, you will have to refinish your hardwood steps to remove the damage that installing the treads had caused.