Metal Stair Treads

There are a number of metal stair treads made of steel, aluminum, and other substances as well, including combinations of materials.

Some of these are designed to be structural and weight bearing, for example ones made of bar grating, some are for renovating existing stairs, and some are designed to add non slip characteristics to existing stairs.

When I think structural metal treads I think factories and industrial settings, and they are often made of sheet steel with added patterns for non slip characteristics and more or from bar grating. Common materials include aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, and they are manufactured by several companies including McNichols and The American Stair Corporation.

Restorative treads are designed for existing stairs that are worn. An example of metal restorative treads are Amstep products 300, 500, and 700 series of treads. The 300 series comes in sizes from 3 inches to 5 inches wide and is made of heavy duty extruded aluminum bonded to non slip abrasive material. They can be used with most stairs including precast or poured concrete, terrazzo, and wood stairs. The 500 series is similar with a base of heavy duty aluminum once again, widths from 4 to 11 inches, available in multiple colors such as black, tan, green, brown, yellow, red, gray, and blue, and are specified as ideal for “schools, public buildings, hospitals and industry.” They are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The 700 series are real workhorses and originally designed for mass transit facilities, meaning they can take severe wear and tear and abuse.

All these restorative stair treads are designed to be placed on existing stairs and are an alternative to replacing the worn stair treads, a larger and more expensive job.

Some treads are neither structural nor designed to restore worn staircases, but often used for safety, notably non slip characteristics, as well as perhaps other uses like protecting stair cases from wear and tear. Many substances can be used for these types of treads, including carpet, vinyl, and rubber, but metal is often a more appropriate and durable substance especially for areas that receive high levels of use. Sometimes these are called stair nosings, especially when they cover primarily the front of the stair tread, including of course the existing stair nosing, the part of the tread that overhangs the stair risers (the vertical parts of the stairs between the treads).

One example is the Amstep 200 Series which is made of extruded aluminum alloy 6063-T6, heat treated for extra strength, and bonded to abrasive non slip material. They are designed for medium to heavy pedestrian areas and are recommended for poured concrete, precast concrete, terrazzo, steel-pan cement filled, or wood stairs. They are from 1 3/8 to 3 inches wide, and come in multiple colors.

Another example are SlipNOT’s steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, and stainless steel treads. They are available up to 10 feet long, in thicknesses of 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 inch, and fine, medium or course grade. Custom metal stair treads can also be manufactured by SlipNOT.

You probably won’t have metal stair treads in your home but they are widely used in many other places. They are economical, extremely durable, and come in a variety of different styles and types and even colors.