Stair Nosing to Prevent Slips and Falls on Ice

Charlie loves spending time away from his busy California life in a remote lakeside cabin that’s been in his family for over sixty years.

Recently, however, the age of the cabin was starting to show, and one of Charlie’s elderly relatives almost fell down the deck steps leading to the back door. Charlie decided to replace his existing stairs with a new wooden staircase and coated each step with a quality anti-slip paint to promote a longer lifespan and increase durability… Unfortunately, this did not solve the whole problem.

The family awoke the next morning to the first snowfall of the season. As Charlie made his way up the stairs to bring some firewood onto the porch, he slipped on the edge of the top step. Luckily, he managed to catch his balance and suffered no injury, but he realized the problem needed to be addressed.

A quick Google search for “anti-slip stair nosing” showed companies offering a variety of options. One company, Amstep Products, offered to send some sample pieces of their stair nosing to show off their unique tread composition and sturdy aluminum base.

Charlie received the samples which he was able to place directly onto the step and help ease his decision. He chose a 4” renovation nosing that would easily install directly onto the step with adhesive and screws.

The model #341A nosings were manufactured to his exact length and color specifications, pre-drilled for mounting, and delivered the day before Thanksgiving. It was a quick and easy job for Charlie to screw the nosing into place before sitting down to the family’s annual Thanksgiving dinner.

The nosing proved its worth the very next morning when the staircase was covered with four inches of fresh snow. This time, when Charlie made his trip to the wood stack, he was able to safely and confidently use the stairs without incident thanks to the new, non-slip surface provided by Amstep’s outdoor stair nosing.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, follow the steps below to make your steps and landings safer:

• Evaluate the existing condition. Whether the steps are made of wood, concrete, tile or metal, they need to be sound and level prior to attaching any treads, nosing, or anti-slip coatings.
• Measure the length and depth of the steps. You will then need to decide how much of the step you would like to cover (standard sizes include: 3”, 4”, 5”, 9” or 11”). All models can be made to any length up to 144”.
• Contact one of our professionals for a quote and inquire about sample pieces to use for your evaluation.
• Once the order arrives, follow the suggested installation instructions.
• Finally, enjoy the peace of mind of safe and durable non-slip steps!

Amstep Products has been the number one provider of stairway safety products for over 100 years! If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, send us an email and we’ll work with you to provide a solution to your problem. We look forward to hearing from you.

Be sure to have a happy and safe holiday season! See you in 2016!