Rubber Stair Treads

Rubber is a classic material for making stair treads. Rubber stair treads help protect against slips and falls, are durable, and inexpensive and easily installed.

They also protect the stairs from wear and tear, but in general are not very attractive for indoor use. For example it’s unlikely you would have them on a master staircase; you’d be more likely to have them indoors on cellar stairs or in commercial or rental properties.

Rubber stair treads are also extremely popular for outdoor use. Although there are many options for outdoor staircases, including non slip tape and various types of carpet treads made for outdoor use, rubber ones seem to be most popular. The ones specifically for outdoor use come in various patterns and may complement your decor. For example you can get them with floral patterns, plant and other garden and animal patterns either cut out or as part of the tread instead. Cutouts work well as they tend to gather the sand, dirt, and other debris that can cover their non skid surface.

You can even buy heated rubber treads for outdoor use which melt snow and ice! I’d love  to have them on my front steps but there is no outlet currently convenient there (although I may add one for next winter).

Some rubber stair treads need only be laid down and do not need to be attached much like welcome mats. I like these outdoors as you can easy pick them up to shake them out and sweep the stairs, clearing them of  debris. Others are attached with glue/adhesive and some even come with a self adhesive backing. Others are tacked down.

In my grandmother’s house in Scarborough Maine we have rubber stair treads tacked on the cellar stairs. I replaced them last year as they were cracking, but they lasted over 40 years!

My father slipped on these  stairs when I was a kid. There have been no slips since they were installed 40 years ago! Rubber stair treads simply work!