Rug Stair Treads

Rugs and carpets are similar, and sometimes the terms are even used interchangeably.

Wikipedia defines a carpet as a “textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of ‘pile’ attached to a backing.” The pile can be a natural material such as wood or a manmade material such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester.

In common usage, a carpet covers an entire area, for example an entire room or staircase, from wall to wall (hence the term “wall to wall” carpeting). A rug in comparison usually covers a smaller area (hence the term “area rug”), for example an individual stair tread. These are often called rug stair treads, with one placed on each stair tread on a staircase. A stair tread, or step, simply means the horizontal part of the stair you step on.

Rug stair treads can be made of small pieces of carpet that have been cut and bound on the edges. The binding is the term for the material placed on the edges of the rug and is often cotton or nylon but can also be leather other natural materials.

There are numerous reasons for using rug stair treads, including:

1) Decorative – they can add to the beauty and décor of your house and staircase

2) Safety – they have non slip properties and can help prevent falls

3) Protection – they protect the underlying stairs from ordinary wear and also from extraordinary wear such as bumps, chips, and bruises

4) Soundproofing – they provide some sound dampening and sound proofing capabilities, including definitely making the sounds of little feet and pets running up and down stairs quieter

5) Comfort - they can be softer and more comfortable to walk on than bare stair treads

Most rug stair treads today are manufactured specifically for the purpose, although it is certainly possible to make them from cut pieces of rug (although the binding of their edges may make this very costly).

You’ll find an enormous variety available both online and off, for example at rug stores, department stores, and home decorating and improvement stores.

Prices vary widely depending on whether you are looking for utilitarian rug stair treads or beautiful decorative ones.

Click Here to see hundreds of examples at Amazon. Even if you end up buying locally, you can often get some great ideas of what s available as well as decorating ideas by spending a few minutes looking online.