Statistics tell us that more
serious injuries occur when walking downstairs than when going up. Remember this the next time you are carrying
a heavy laundry basket downstairs to the laundry room. You could be an accident waiting to
happen. Many houses have only two
levels, but you may have noticed that there are stairs everywhere. This does not bode well for your retirement
years. So what are you going to do?
Now that you are remodeling your house, it is a good
time to look carefully at the stairs, both inside and outside. Simple renovations can make your stairs safer,
and hopefully prevent falls. You
might even consider some alternate methods for getting yourself from floor A to
floor B. Do not rule out thoughts of
chair lifts and elevators, or even reconfiguring your floor plan so that you
have a suite of rooms on the first floor.
Handrails:
Handrails can help you keep your balance and provide leverage when going up or
down stairs. The simple addition of well thought out handrails can make a big
difference if you need to navigate flights of stairs. A well designed handrail can reduce the chance
of a fall. Handrails on both sides of the stair can help if you
have balance issues, especially if you have limited strength on one side. The rails need to be securely anchored into
wall studs so that they are sturdy enough to support your full weight, Universal design suggests that the best rails
are round and about an 1 ½ inches in diameter.
They should extend a foot from the top and bottom of the stairs.
Stair Material: There are no statistics on whether one type of flooring material is
safer than any other, but a matte finish
is good idea for fall prevention. If you
must have carpeting, consider a tightly woven carpet of a dense cut pile.
Light and Color: Poor visibility of both risers
and treads can lead to misreading the stair edge and can cause faulty foot
placement. Be sure you can see the steps
clearly and be able to distinguish one step from the next. Good lighting, especially near the top and
bottom stair, is important. You can also
highlight the edge of the steps by painting a bright colorful stripe along the
edge. If you are installing new
carpeting on the stairs, consider using different colors of carpet or wood on
the risers than on the treads. Make sure the stairs and landing have even
lighting; shadows can be confusing and dangerous. Visibility
is the key.
Risers and Treads: Risers that have a vertical
opening between the steps are dangerous because you could get your toe caught
when climbing stairs. The tread should
be deep enough for the ball of the foot to land on it without extending
over. If not, an over-step or misstep
can occur causing you to fall forward.
Tread surfaces and floor surfaces leading to a stairway should be slip resistant.
Outdoors: If you need to climb stairs to get into your
house you will want the safest steps
possible. We all know the
consequences of climbing stairs in the dark, especially if they are slippery,
or without hand rails. Keep outdoor
steps free of wet leaves of ice. Repair
broken or loose bricks, stones or cement.
Many accidents occur because of poor maintenance. Keep stair
treads clean and in good condition.
Never use stairs for storing objects.
If you are designing new stairs, design them to be uniform
in height and without nosing (a rounded projecting edge that might be easy to
catch your foot on) and without open risers.
If you use a walker a 4 inch riser height is easier to maneuver than the
standard 7 inch height. Similarly a
wider tread will allow the base of the walker to rest on a single stair.
Most homes have stairs and
many of them have stairs that are slippery, poorly lighted, and poorly
designed. This is one of the first areas that you should look at
when getting ready to remodel your home.
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