Has lockdown made you realise that your staircase needs a change of appearance to keep up with modern trends? Don’t worry, we understand! At Abbott-Wade, we have seen a lot of our customers have this same thought process, and not just during the COVID-19 pandemic! It is easy to become detached from the original aesthetic appeal of a staircase over time, as styles change, and different staircase designs become more and more popular.

Making your staircase stand out once more is never normally as drastic as getting a new staircase altogether. Sometimes, the smallest changes can go a long way towards revitalising the look of your home.

Replace or add a balustrade

Often hailed as the unsung hero of your staircase, a balustrade’s primary use is for safety. But, if the right balance is found, it can steal the show. Balustrades are often made from steel, glass or wood, in keeping with the overall design of your staircase. By switching up this part of your staircase, you can create a  whole new look – that will wow both the people who see it every day and visitors.

One kind you may want to check out is the frameless glass balustrade from Abbott-Wade, for a truly modern, trendy addition to your home. Balustrades are just as big of a design aspect as the treads and paint job, so be sure to treat them that way!

Add a new lick of paint

One of the most obvious ways to quickly change the appearance of your staircase is to give it a new coat of paint. This could be topping up an old coat to make the colour you’ve admired so much stand out once more or switching up your shade entirely. For example, if you are looking for a colour that is brighter and more welcoming, or contrasts well against a darker wall, then a white staircase could be for you. Or if you would like something that is more close to natural wood, be sure to check out our range of painted staircases for some inspiration.

You can’t go wrong with making your staircase stand out by changing its colour to something that suits your home’s décor, so make sure you give this idea some consideration!

Switch up your surroundings

No, we’re not telling you to purchase a new house completely here, that might be a little too drastic! But sometimes, the problem doesn’t lie with your staircase at all. Simply switching up the area around it can make a huge difference, and restore the staircase to its sparkling best form, After all, the staircase is meant to be a vital pivot in the home, so by giving some improvement to the supporting cast, you are allowing the main attraction to shine as it should.

Contact us

Do you have any other ways in which you prolonged the life and style of your staircase? Or do you have any staircase based enquiries? If so, be sure to speak to our staircase specialists today! Simply fill out our online enquiry form or drop us an email at info@abbottwade.co.uk. You can also get in touch with us directly by calling us on 01744 634 442, we’d love to hear from you!

When looking to purchase a brand new staircase for your home, an integral part of the design process is designing on what kind of balustrade would best fit with the look that you are going for. Throughout our almost 25 years as a business, we here at Abbott-Wade have seen it all, as we have been required to implement all kinds of balustrades that are a makeup of a homeowners dream design.

In this blog post, we have decided to share some of the most popular balustrade materials with you to give you some inspiration on which type you should decide works best on your new staircase.

What are balustrades?

Before we delve into what kinds of balustrades are available to implement on your staircase, we thought we would give you a quick overview of what exactly a balustrade is and why it is so important to all staircases. Technically, a balustrade is a handrail that supports a row of balusters (posts) and are normally seen along staircases or balconies to cover the gaps between a handrail and the floor.

As trends have changed, a balustrade is now a huge part of the design of a staircase, as well as preventing any hazards of falling from a sizeable distance from the floor. Balustrades can be made from a variety of materials, enhancing their style as well as their substance, here are some of the most popular.

Glass balustrade

Arguably the balustrade of choice in a modern, on-trend home, a glass balustrade has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. This material allows for natural light to pour through your home, giving you a brighter and larger looking space as a result.

By installing a glass balustrade, you are allowed an unobstructed view to the rest of your home in all of its glory, while this gives you a seamless transition from one floor to another. Glass can be partnered with another material like wood to create a look that will last a lifetime and add to the home of your dreams.

Wood balustrade

Wooden balustrades go as far back as we can remember and are still one of the most popular options today. Many homes still utilise this interior design option, with the knowledge that the wood can be painted in whatever shade you desire to fit in with your dream home.

This level of versatility is what can sometimes set apart a wooden balustrade from their glass and steel counterparts, but with this pro, there is a con that not as much natural light will pass through your home, so be sure to rely on brighter walls if you are looking for your house to appear more spacious.

Steel balustrade

Although not nearly as popular as glass and balustrades indoors, steel balustrades are sometimes seen inside the home. The reason why they are not as popular indoors is that they are mainly used on outdoor balconies and staircases, due to their hard wearing nature and ability to resist the elements.

They are made up of secure steel posts that can tie together a steel pattern that runs alongside your staircase. This is why they are normally seen outdoors to fit with the theme of a particular building or area, but still most definitely have a place in a trendy home.

Contact us

Still unsure about what balustrade would best suit your staircase? Or do you have any general enquiries about staircases that you would like to ask one of our experts? If so, the team are Abbott-Wade are always willing to help. Be sure to contact us via our online enquiry form or give us a call on 01744 634 442 to speak to one of our experts. You can also email us info@abbottwade.co.uk for a quick response from the team.

Staircases are a necessity in all homes that are above one floor in height, which can make them an inevitable safety hazard for families with young children who have not yet grasped how to climb up or down them. This is why, if you fit into that category, you should make prior considerations as to how to make your new staircase as safe as possible before you make the purchase, as well as making adjustments once it has been installed.

Here at Abbott-Wade, we have done the hard work for you, by producing this blog post to rid your stairs of any potential risks and to give you peace of mind that your child will not be injured by falling down the stairs.

Safety gates

One of the most popular safety apparatus that you see on the top of stairs in a young families’ home, the safety gate has been used by parents to stop their children falling down the stairs for many years. We’re sure when visiting a friend’s house who is a parent, you have had to negotiate your way past one of these to visit the bathroom at one point or another!

They can be fitted to the wall in a variety of ways, using either pressure or screws, giving them maximum security to ensure your child doesn’t open the gate and loose their footing down the stairs.

Smaller treads

Another safety aspect of your stairs to consider can be applied while the staircase is being installed. This can be to decrease the size of the treads (gaps in between each step) of your staircase. Some staircases that you inherit when moving home already come with no tread, which is ideal for keeping your young children from catching their foot in a tread thus tripping on the stairs. However, if you are looking to perform a staircase renovation then you can incorporate smaller or no treads into your staircase design idea to eliminate this hazard altogether.

Sturdy balustrades

Another overlooked area of staircase safety is the balustrade. Sure, they might be an area in which you want to add to the aesthetic of your staircase, but if you have a young family, they are a component that needs to be safe and secure. This can often be achieved by a strong glass balustrade that won’t show any sign of smashing or cracking. However, if you happen to have wood balustrades that have a gap between each, be mindful of how big this gap is and whether your children’s hands could potentially get stuck in between.

Clear stairs of trip hazards

If you are a household that likes to leave items on the stairs to take upstairs later, but never get round to it, then you could be causing a serious trip hazard that is only a matter of time before someone or something falls down them! By taking this simple step (pardon the pun) to avoid this risk, you can give yourself peace of mind that people in your households can climb up or walk down your staircase without tripping over a rogue object.

Contact us

Do you have any questions about the safety of your staircase? Or would you just like to get in touch with a general enquiry? If so, be sure to contact the team at Abbott-Wade today! Give us a call on 01744 634 442 or email us at info@abbottwade.co.uk to get in touch with us directly or fill out our online enquiry form now.

More and more people are choosing to implement open tread staircases into their house design, and it is easy to see why! There are many reasons as to why this type of staircase can benefit your home, perfectly bringing your home up to a trendy, contemporary 21^st century design. However, one major drawback for especially young families is the safety of an open tread, as after all stairs are only getting higher and higher from the ground below, so any risk of falling needs to be assessed. Here at Abbott-Wade, we are here to do that assessing for you, and come to the conclusion whether open tread staircase is safe for your home.

Why do people have open tread staircases?

Before we examine their safety, it is useful to list the reasons as to why open tread staircases appeal to people in the first place. Often the safety aspect comes as an afterthought as people often consider its appearance before the practicality of the staircase. Open tread staircases are a great way of brightening up your home, as the opening between each step allows for light to shine through the whole downstairs floor. This can be great for making your home a more welcoming environment.

As well as being a good way of making your space brighter, open tread staircases are also true to their name and make your space appear more open. This is often useful if you are looking to have a more inclusive design with less separation between floors.

Is an open tread safe to use?

One of the biggest reasons as to why people opt against installing a new staircase with open treads is the fact that the gaps in between each step could be a safety issue, especially if you have a young family. This is in case a child (or adult for that matter!) catches their foot in between the treads and could risk falling. To combat this, UK regulations state that there cannot be a gap of more than 10cm between each step, significantly reducing the gap of someone’s foot or head (trust us, it happens) being caught between each.

To make sure someone’s foot isn’t caught between steps coming down the steps, regulations also state that treads must have an overhang of at least 16mm, as safety precautions are put in place before an open tread staircase is installed.

The team at Abbott-Wade will always make sure that our staircase renovations adhere to these regulations so you can have peace of mind that your open tread staircases are safe to use in any home.

Contact us

What are your opinions on having an open tread staircase in your property? Has this post changed whether you would like one in your home? If so, get in touch with the team here at Abbott-Wade for a consultation about your dream staircase design. Simply give us a call on 01744 634 442 or email us at info@abbottwade.co.uk.