It can be easy to overlook the importance of stairs to the overall look of your home. After all, it’s just how you get from one floor to the other, and you don’t really spend too much time thinking about it. This can mean slapping carpet on the stairs as it’s the easiest way to decorate your floors without thinking too much about it.
But it can be surprising to realise just how much of an impact your stairs can have on the rest of your space. If you choose to use your stairs as a real feature, timber stairs can actually give you the best of both worlds – a striking look that’s built to last!
Below, we look at some of the benefits of choosing timber stairs for your Melbourne home, especially if you’ve got existing carpet or are tossing up between the two!
Carpets for stairs?
It’s a common choice to use carpet for staircases, especially as upstairs areas will often also be carpeted. It does provide a softer underfoot, which helps with noise as well as being a more cushioned surface if anyone should fall on the stairs. However, it can be really difficult to clean carpeted stairs, especially when you think about the fact that there is heavy foot traffic in this area. It can be a headache to remove stains and scuffs made from shoes, pets, and even children in the home.
This would usually mean a maintenance routine of regular vacuuming and professional steam cleaning services. Allergens can also become trapped in the carpet if not cleaned regularly, and choosing a low pile carpet not only assists with this but also helps to lessen the risk of matted carpets that show severe wear and tear quickly.
What about timber stairs?
Timber is a great way to make your stairs more appealing with the wonderful textures, colours and variations found in natural wood product. There are a wide range of options available for timber stairs if you’re looking to match the rest of your existing flooring – or if you’re wanting to renovate your entire home’s flooring too.
After a light coloured flooring? Engineered oak can suit your needs. You’re covered when it comes to options, and you’ll have your pick of different colours, polishes, timbers, and even stains to help you create the space you desire.
Timber is timeless
While trends can come and go, timber flooring is timeless – meaning you won’t have stairs that date quickly, if at all. Wooden stairs will add a classic feel to your home that’s easy to match with changing interior decor over time. It is architecturally beautiful, whilst also having incredible durability that will often last for generations. With the right colour and finish, you can be sure that your timber flooring will blend seamlessly with any interior decor you already have – or are planning to place in your living space.
Timber adds warmth
Natural timber stairs provide a warmth to the home that’s hard to replicate. Couple that with the fact that you can ensure timber stairs have a non-slip surface, preventing potential falls and trips from occurring, and it’s becoming more and more a great option.
It’s easy to maintain
Interior designers have actually found that timber is quickly becoming the preferred choice when it comes to the construction of Melbourne’s timber stairs, with trends leading towards more natural textures in a home that are easy to maintain – and easy definitely is the best word for it! Timber doesn’t trap dirt like carpet does, so sweeping regularly and spot cleaning is your best bet for beautifully maintained floors.
It’s good for high traffic areas
Because stairs are definitely a high traffic area, having a material that you know is going to last for years gives you peace of mind. Carpets show wear in the middle of each step after years of use – timber stairs don’t have that issue, as the wooden surfaces are high quality and designed to last. Timber underfoot means that it will stand up to high traffic for years to come, and should you have issues with scratches and dents, you can also choose to resand and refinish to refresh the look of your wooden stairs.
What’s more, the tough construction of the boards themselves guards against warping and bending, ensuring that you have highly durable steps that stand up to daily use, no matter if you’ve got pets or small children in the home.
Timber stairs – the perfect match
As you can see, stairs and timber flooring is the perfect match. And if you’re looking for timber flooring installation ideas for your staircase, consider having a chat with your local flooring specialists. Not only can they assist with creating that bespoke look for your home, but they also offer timber flooring installation to make renovating your stairs a breeze!