Tiling Stairs
Staircases serve a vital purpose in any home or business. Aside from bridging multiple levels of a space, stairs are often a focal point in a given space. Tiles for stairs can fulfill the necessary utility of staircases and create a beautiful focal point in any space!
Tile Options For Steps
Tile Trim
Coordinating tile trim pieces such as surface bullnose and quarter round can be used to conceal unfinished tile edges. This is the most common way to trim exposed tile edges for stairs. Using tile trim on stairs allows for a clean look because there isn’t the introduction of a new material to the staircase.
Stair Tread
Select tile lines offered by Tile Direct will have a stair tread available to use on steps. Stair treads are manufactured in the same factory that the field tile is made in which ensures a perfect match. Stair treads can be used for enhanced safety and a thicker appearing step.
Metal Profiles
Metal profiles, such as Schluter, can be used to trim tiled staircases. . Metal profiles are offered in various shapes and colors. Due to their wide offering of shapes, metal profiles can be used in residential and commercial staircase applications.
Bullnosing Tiles
Natural stone tiles can be bullnosed by the installer to finish the end of a step. This ensures there will be less grout lines which results in a cleaner look. Thicker stone tiles can also hang over the riser to give a more detailed appearance . Full body porcelain tiles can also be bullnosed.
Tile options for stair risers
Stair risers are a place where your imagination is the limit. All of our tiles can be used on stair risers and they can really add an amazing design element to any staircase. Common materials include: mosaics, hand painted tiles, and encaustic tiles. Stair risers can be tiled even if the step itself isn’t tile.
MAINTENANCE free stairs
Porcelain tiles are fired at high temperatures to ensure density and very little porosity. Using porcelain tiles on stairs means that your stairs will never stain, rarely ever scratch, and will always look as good as the day they were installed.
Grout lines are always an area where dirt accumulates, so in order to create truly maintenance free tiled stairs it is critical to use a presealed grout. Tec PowerGrout is a versatile grout that will keep your grout lines stain free for years!
TIle Staircase Safety
In order to prevent accidents on tiled staircases it is important to realize what causes falls on staircases. The most common cause of falls on staircases is lack of grip and missing a step.
Tiled stairs should have a high Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) to ensure safety. To ensure the tile you are considering for a staircase is safe reference the tile’s specification sheet. It is critical to reference specifications in exterior and/or commercial applications of tiles for stairs. Certain exterior and/or commercial applications may call for grooved tile stair treads of grip enhancing profiles.
Missing a step is a very common cause for staircase accidents. When tiling a staircase it is critical to create some sort of designation between steps. A fun solution that adds an element of design to tiled staircases is using a different tile on the riser of the step. Tile Direct carries countless pattered tiles that can be used as decorative risers. Adding a decorative riser reduces the risk of falling on a tiled staircase and adds a new design element.
Even if you follow every safety precaution to make your tiled staircase as safe as possible, there is still the risk of falling. In order to minimize the risk, it is critical to bullnose (round) the edges of your steps.