• Design Jobs
  • Firms
  • Awards
  • Conference
e

Core77

Sign In / Join Now;
e
  • Topics
    • Product Design
    • Process
    • Technology
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Materials
    • News
    • Furniture
    • Tools
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Footwear
    • Impact
    • Reference
    • Video
  • Features
    • Features
    • Yo! C77 Sketch
    • Photo Galleries
    • Bizarre Inventions
    • Design Calendar
    • Weekly Maker's Roundup
    • DiResta's Cut
    • Industrial Design Tips
    • Hand Tool School
    • Tools & Craft
    • Design Experience that Matters
  • Shopping Guide
  • Projects
    • Projects
    • Firm Projects
    • Reader Projects
  • Forums
    • Forums
    • General Discussion
    • Students & Schools
    • Design Employment
    • Sketching
    • Software & Technology
    • All Forums
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • About
    • Contact
    • Advertise

Design & Materials Problem: What are the Different Ways to Make Outdoor Stairs Non-Slippery?

Buy, or DIY?

By Rain Noe - Sep 11, 2018

  • Join Core77 Today
  • Submit your projects for publication
  • }Favorite This
  • Y1
  • m1
  • U1
  • X1
  • H1
  • 1 Favorite
  • 9 Comments

The dumbest way to accidentally hurt yourself, or die, is to have a gravity-based mishap. Because as a species, we figured out that gravity could kill you way before we got to swordfights, shark attacks and driving Porsches into trees. Some early caveman was climbing a cliff and showing off, he lost his footing and plummeted, and the other cavemen learned a valuable lesson while poking his unmoving body with a stick.

That's why I don't bungie jump, skydive or apply for roofing jobs. I prefer to die the American way, which is from heart disease due to poor diet, not some stupid physics-based reason that your eulogist has to write his way around.

I also don't want to fall down stairs and injure myself. Here on the farm there are a couple of outdoor wooden staircases that are like a good Bon Jovi album. So I'm looking at design solutions for making them less slippery, of which there are many.

Enter a caption (optional)

If you're starting from scratch, using metal is an effective (and expensive) solution. Diamond plate steel like this is a popular choice.

Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)

However, perforated aluminum seems to me like it would offer more grip. This design looks incredibly effective, though if you did manage to slip on it, it would probably not make for a comfy landing.

Enter a caption (optional)

For very muddy applications where drainage is paramount, you can purchase expanded carbon steel sheets like this and cut it to suit.

Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)

For retrofitting existing stairs, a metal solution is perforated aluminum sheets like these.

Enter a caption (optional)

The little raised volcanoes provide grip.

Enter a caption (optional)

These aluminum strips can also be had in brightly-lit colors for better visibility.

Enter a caption (optional)

The advantage of going with metal is obvious: Durability. But if it's not in your budget, less expensive solutions exist. These textured treads are made from fiberglass and have much to recommend them: They're retrofittable, offer a choice of medium or coarse grit and feature bright yellow on the nosing for visibility.

Enter a caption (optional)

Those are affixed to the stairs with construction adhesive and a caulking gun. For a far easier installation, you could purchase rubber mats that simply lay on top of the stairs. These are probably fine with rain and snow, but presumably a pain to clean out if mud is involved.

Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)

Going even simpler, at the big box home centers you can purchase inexpensive anti-slip tape.

Enter a caption (optional)

A DIY solution is to mix sand in with paint, and apply that to your (wooden) stairs to provide some texture. You can also purchase rubber or polymeric plastic grits to mix in with the paint.

Enter a caption (optional)

Lastly, I came across this DIY solution: The unknown person who did this appears to have routed out a channel in their treads, and inlaid a rubber strip.

Enter a caption (optional)

I am going to have to go with one of these solutions before winter comes, so if you've got a tried-and-true method you recommend, please do sound off in the comments!

The latest design news, jobs & events.
Straight to you every other week.

Join over 300,000 designers who stay up-to-date with the Core77 newsletter...

Subscribe

Test it out; it only takes a single click to unsubscribe

  • }Favorite This
  • Y1
  • m1
  • U1
  • X1
  • H1
  • Object Culture

Rain Noe

Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.

9 Comments

  • Ryan Spotowski
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    Paint doesn't have the strength required to hold sand for very long, especially if you're shoveling.  For non-slip applications on exterior surfaces, you should use an aliphatic urethane coating that will stand up to cleaning abuse and retain the grit.  Epoxies generally aren't advised for exterior applications.

    You can also add a reglet with a carborundum strip for additional traction.  This creates a little bump that your footwear treads will catch on.  This is what we'll install on polished concrete floors which can be slippery when wet.  The bump also provides feedback to users who are visually impaired that they're about to reach a change in elevation.


    1
    !Report as spam
  • Frederick Fasola
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    If you are looking for an "agricultural" (quick/cheap/effective) method, you can wrap the treads in chicken wire. This is very durable and very cheap if you have large expanses of decking. And if you don't mind the rustic look close up it's virtually invisible from any distance.

    !Report as spam
  • Ben Johnson
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    Here's what we use for non-slip stairs in a food manufacturing plant, where the surfaces are perpetually wet (and not just wet, often wet with cleaning agents that makes things slipperier.


    https://www.slipnot.com/products/stair-treads-and-covers/

    They also make nosings to put at the front of an existing tread - our main entry stairway is porcelain tile with SlipNot nosings mortared in.  

    !Report as spam
  • jason campbell
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    I would replace the rubber strip option with these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEENOVO-Silicone-Heater-Flexible-Heating-Element-Strip-Belt-15X4200mm-200W-220V/271283649964?hash=item3f29c3fdac:g:aIsAAOxyaqlSQETx

    !Report as spam
  • The Skipper
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    There is a reason teak has been used for years on boats. Wood in general is a nonslip surface it is when the stairs do not have the correct rise/run, are freshly oiled, covered in moss/algae or other issue that they become slippery. Also take into account that if you are going to be shoveling snow off said steps, anything short of the expanded steel to let the snow through when stepped on, is likely going to be damaged and/or make the ice start and stick much more easily than just plain wood. As it is said, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. 

    !Report as spam
  • . JC
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    If the surface is primed for it the anti slip tape works really well.

    !Report as spam
  • Stephen Hill
    5 months ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply

    The correct clear polymer beads can also be mixed into a polyurethane or other clear finish to add grip without detracting from your (possibly) unpainted, natural stairs.  

    !Report as spam
    • Mrten Boi
      Stephen Hill
      5 months ago
      Z
      Z
      Reply

      I concur with Stephen, there exists filler material for paint that provides grip. Think fine plastic sawdust. I'd think sand is too hard, damages the paint too much if it comes loose.

      I've used the plastic filler dust on my (admittedly indoor) stairs and it works great.

      !Report as spam
      • Stephen Hill
        Mrten Boi
        5 months ago
        Z
        Z

        Also, for painted surfaces there is a ground walnut shell powder that can be added for even better (read more irregular) grip and texture - plus it's a great up-cycled/natural product.

        !Report as spam

Core77's Design Directory

View all Design Firms »

Hot On Coroflot

Candela Tables Jorge Diego Etienne
Nerf - MEGA: Tri-Break Matty Devin Brown

Recent Posts

  • How a Ukrainian NGO is Improving Post-Soviet Children's Hospitals Through Design

    By Mariia Lozhko - 13 hours ago

  • Steven M. Johnson's Bizarre Invention #179: Socioeconomic-Class-Based Dining

    By Steven Johnson - 15 hours ago

  • Good Design: Ten Examples of Great UX

    By Rain Noe - 17 hours ago

  • Ford (Yes, the Car Company) Invents a Conveyor-Belt-Based Bed for Couples

    By Rain Noe - 17 hours ago

Continued Reading
  • Object Culture
    9 Comments

    By Rain Noe - Sep 10, 2018

    A Set of Extra, Wearable Legs for On-Demand Seating

    The LEX Bionic Chair could be a godsend for those with back or leg issues

    I try never to sit at airports, particularly at the gate while waiting for a flight. If you're going to be inside an airplane and sitting on your ass for the next several hours, I think you should try to keep your feet as much as possible beforehand. However, I'm

  • Object Culture
    2 Comments

    By Rain Noe - Sep 10, 2018

    A Sliding, Spinning Refrigerator Tray for Easy Access

    AEG's MultiSpace refrigerator features a clever storage feature that's like a Lazy Susan on a track

    It was once common for the fronts of refrigerators to end level with the fronts of the countertops in the kitchen, but lately the trend is to make refrigerators ever deeper. This added storage space makes it difficult to access things towards the rear. The designers of German appliance maker

  • Object Culture
    6 Comments

    By Rain Noe - Sep 06, 2018

    Bang & Olufsen's Perfectly Round Speaker, Yea or Nay?

    The Beosound Edge is pretty. Does it make sense as a speaker?

    Bang & Olufsen is has always been one of those companies that combines technology with bold, occasionally polarizing designs. I admire that the company is willing to take risks, even if I don't always care for their individual efforts. I am very curious to hear what you think about their

  • Object Culture

    By Rain Noe - Sep 05, 2018

    DanForce's G1 Pro: A Modular Multifunctional Flashlight

    Outdoor gear manufacturer Danforce has designed the G1 Pro, a feature-packed flashlight that aims to do the job of multiple objects. The G1 is modular, meaning you can lengthen the shaft by adding a second battery, increasing both the lumens and the battery life. That second battery can also serve

K

{

Welcome

  • YSign In with Facebook
  • mSign In with Twitter
  • USign In with Linkedin
OR
  • jSign In with Core77 Account
  1. Forgot password?
  • Cancel

Don't have an account? Join Now

K

{

Welcome

Create a Core77 Account

  • YJoin Now with Facebook
  • mJoin Now with Twitter
  • UJoin Now with Linkedin
OR
  • jJoin Now with Email
  • Cancel

Already have an account? Sign In

By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use

K

Reset Password

Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.

  • Cancel
Today On the Core77 Network...
  • ]Design Jobs

    • Industrial Design Director

      Enlisted Design Oakland, California
    • Senior Level Industrial Designer

      True Brands Seattle, Washington
    • Outdoor Product Design and Development Non-Tenure Track Professional Practice Assistant Professor

      Utah State University Logan, Utah
    • Outdoor Product Design and Development Non-Tenure Track Professional Practice Assistant Professor

      Utah State University Moab, Utah
    • Post A Job
    • View All Jobs
  • ]Design Directory

    View other design services:

    • *Hot On Coroflot

      • Jumpstart Charging Systems

        Ryan Paul
      • Beverage Dispenser

        Jonathan Smith
    •  

      • ET TOY WORK

        Rurik Tyler
      • ECCO Biom Venture TR

        Ventsislav Nikolov
    • © 2019 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • About
    • )
    • m
    • Y
    • '
    • S
    • © 2019 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
    Advertise Here