I have 3 sets of stairs in my house (still under construction). I dont look forward to vacuuming them if I cover the treads with carpet or carpet runner, a finished tread of oak or maple would look nice but you allways hear someone walking up or down and they are uncomfortable & slippery plus how do you get a durable finish. Any alternatives out their. I like the idea of using vinyl or rubber but all I seen they look too commercial. Roger
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i can't think of any alternative to a carpet runner that makes sense
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I agree with Mike. What blows my mind is how the stair codes are so anal about baluster spacing..tread run...riser height...etc...etc... and then say nothing about a stairs finished so slick a fly cant even land on it without skidding.....
My treads are oak, finished in several coats of polyurethane. I planned on a carpet runner, but liked the oak so much I never put it in. In my part of the country everyone in the house is in stocking feet. I haven't had a problem with noise, slipping, or wear (though it's only been two years, and I don't have kids). Perhaps you'd like to try the finished wood for a while before deciding to cover it, unless you meant that you want a different material right from the start.