4 Best Flooring Options For Stairs

The type of flooring you’ll add to the stairs in your home will depend on many factors, such as budget, preferred maintenance level, noise constraints, traffic levels, safety, and overall style. Let’s go over the four best flooring options for stairs.

1.  Vinyl Plank Flooring

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP or vinyl plank for short) is a versatile, budget-friendly material for the stairs in your home. LVP can be made to resemble just about any material you can think of,  from metal and tile to stone and more. Its high quality material can make it nearly impossible to decipher the difference between genuine hardwood and vinyl.

Here are the benefits of vinyl plank flooring:

  • It’s waterproof, stain-resistant, and easy to clean.
  • It’s a tough and durable flooring material, which makes it great for stairs that receive a lot of daily traffic.
  • It can last between 10 and 25 years if well maintained.
  • It comes in a variety of looks, so you could have stairs resembling hardwood, ceramic or stone at a fraction of the cost.
  • You can clean them with a broom or vacuum brush attachment, with just seasonal deep-cleaning necessary.

2.  Hardwood Flooring

This is considered the most upscale type of flooring, and by extension, for staircases too. Its elegant beauty is unmatched, and a high-quality hardwood on stairs is easy to clean and will last as long as the house does. You may want to use non-slip treads on hardwood stairs, as they can get slippery in stocking feet.

Benefits include:

  • You can choose from hardwoods like oak, beech, or ash.
  • It’s got hard-wearing durability and can withstand high levels of foot traffic.
  • Each type of wood has its own characteristic markings, which can be stained to match the style of your home. You also have a choice of thickness levels and patterns.
  • It’s easy to maintain. Usually all you have to do is sweep or vacuum, with an occasional polish.

3.  Carpeting

Carpet is the safest type of flooring when it comes to stairs. Shorter fibers are best, as they are more durable and can withstand heavy foot traffic while maintaining that soft and comfortable feel. It’s not as slippery as other flooring types, which is great if you have kids or elderly people living in the residence.

Benefits include:

  • It’s quiet, so you won’t hear the pounding of feet as kids run up and down.
  • It provides more traction than hard surfaces. Plus, carpet feels soft and warm underfoot.
  • You can choose from a wide range of colors, patterns, finishes, and materials.

4.  Carpet Runners

If you don’t feel like carpeting the whole staircase, just install a carpet runner. This will add beauty and traction, plus you can color-coordinate it with the flooring in the rest of the home. From solids to stripes, and traditional to intricate designs, you have a lot of decorative options at your fingertips.

Benefits include:

  • Carpet runners, like carpeting, aren’t noisy due to the density of the material.
  • They come in a wide variety of patterns, colors, finishes, and materials.

Contact All Flooring Install

Not sure which option is best for your Richardson TX home? Just call us for advice at (972) 679-3172 and to get a free quote.