It is important to educated young children on the safety guidelines and how to properly navigate stairs to reduce the potential for injury. A beautiful staircase can provide a great addition to a home, but awareness of its potential dangers must be spread to prevent unwanted occurrences. We offer a few simple tips for making your home’s stairway a safer area for your children.
Handrails
Typically most homes with staircases have handrails included. Handrails are particularly important to youngsters learning how to walk up stairs and should be emphasized from the moment the child can walk. Check out your local building codes to learn how high your handrails should be and how to install them. You can always give a call to your local flooring professional if you’re not a do-it-yourselfer.
Safety Gates
This is sort of a no-brainer, but if you have young children, especially toddlers, then safety gates should be installed at the top and bottom of all stairs. Keep these gates installed until you are completely confident in your child’s ability to manage the staircase. The child should display excellent stair-walking habits, including holding onto the handrail and only ascending one step at a time.
Standard Height and Depth
Humans are unconscious masters of navigating stairs. Our brains are able to have each step move the same distance without having to look at the stairs. If there is a discrepancy in the height or depth of the steps then a tumble could easily occur. For safety reasons, it is important that depth and height measurements be consistent throughout the entire staircase. A local flooring professional can help you address any discrepancies and ensure that your steps are evenly spaced.
Slippery Stairs
Stairs can become worn and slippery due to a variety of reasons. Most often the case is due to worn-out carpet or for highly polished wood. Be aware of the state of your carpet and if you notice signs of wear, then it is time to re-carpet and reduce the potential for slips. It is not a good idea to polish your stairs until you see a bright sheen. This may look attractive, but may be difficult for guests to walk on. Using slip guards on your stairs is also an option.
Obstructions
Children love their play toys and have a tendency to leave them in all areas of the house. The stairs seem to be a popular place to discard toys and the smallest marble could be harmful if stepped on. Teach you children that the stairs are not a playground and that it is dangerous to leave items in that area of your home.
Hopefully these tips will help to keep your home a safer place for your children. If you have a specific question regarding stair safety or anything flooring related, please give us a call or comment below.