Jul 18 2006
Not long ago, commercial grade stair tread products were only available to contractors and usually installed in commercial buildings or buildings with high traffic use, such as schools, public and government office buildings, stores and churches. Today, with the help of the Internet, www.FloorMatStore.com has made these durable, high quality products available to consumers as well as contractors and property managers.
According to Victor Fowler, President of The Discount FloorMat Store, "We put our most popular products (stair treads, wall guards, entrance mats) on the Internet to make it easy for contractors, large and small, to quickly find and purchase what they need at discounted prices regardless of quantities. What we didn't expect were all the orders we received from consumers, especially seniors wanting our stair treads to cover their basement steps. We received numerous orders from church members working on repair projects for their place of worship. We also received many orders from property managers needing to replace worn, damaged stair treads that could pose a fall hazard to their tenants and visitors.
With this broad customer mix, The FloorMat Store found they were spending considerable time on the phone providing customer support to their new do-it-yourself customers and small contractors. Most of their questions and concerns are the same: how do I attach the tread to my step, how do I cut the tread to fit, what type of tread is best for my application, how do I install the riser? A new online "How to Install Stair Treads" page helps consumers and contractors avoid the most common stair tread installation problems.
Stair tread installation is a simple task requiring no special tools. With some basic how-to information, almost anyone can have the satisfaction of a job well done. According to Victor Fowler "One of the most common stair tread installation mistakes is made by consumers as well as experienced contractors. That mistake is not to apply epoxy nose caulk under the nose of the tread. This is the most common reason stair treads will crack or split along the front edge at the nose. The nose calk is a quick and inexpensive step and, if missed, may void the manufacture's warranty and shorten the life of the tread."