Stair masts or stair mats are usually easy to remove. They are often attached with double-sided tape, and with a little force you can easily pull them off. If this does not work immediately, you can heat them with a hair dryer or iron. Any glue or tape residue can be easily removed with a little sticker remover or WD-40.

If the glue comes from a mounting sealant, you need to carefully scrape it away with a paint scraper. Then, sand the stair treads smooth with a sanding block and 180-grit sandpaper and repaint the treads in the desired color.

Replacing stair steps: advantages and disadvantages

Most stairs in the Netherlands have steps that slope from wide to narrow. The wide part, where you walk, is called the running line, the narrow part is on the side of the post. Therefore, stair mats are shaped like a moon; a rectangular mat would not fit on such a sloping stair step.

Stair mats emerged in the 1960s. Back then, they were made by home decorators by cutting moons out of a "leftover" piece of flooring and hemming the edges with needle and thread, or sewing a piping all around. This was a cheaper solution compared to the then-popular stair runner, which was fastened with copper stair treads. At that time, stair moons were still fastened with small upholsterer nails.

The advantages at a glance

Wide choice in color and quality
Wide range of prices
Suitable for all interior staircases
Easy to replace
No impact sound when walking and feels comfortable
The walking surface of the stairs does not wear out

The disadvantages at a glance

The moons get dirty quickly
Cheaper models come off quickly and curl at the edges
Pet hair easily gets under the moons
Slip resistance is limited by the round shape
The walking part is not in the middle of the moon

So there are quite a few differences. Want to get done quickly, without painting stair treads, but just replace the stair moons? Then for stair tread wear and safety, that's a great option. I would then choose the slightly stronger and more expensive models, such as the sisal masts. These are also easier to clean and are less likely to leave ruts.

Don't want stair moons anymore, don't like them, or find them too expensive? Then choose, for example, an anti-slip stair strip that is self-adhesive. This is easy to apply and it also makes your stairs beautiful. The anti-slip strip can be bought from as little as €20, and the strips produced especially for stairs can be bought for around €50 for a 15-meter roll, which is enough to make your entire staircase safe again.

Request a free sample card with the 10 sample colors of the self-adhesive anti-slip stair strip. Ideal for a quick and effective safe staircase.

antislip als alternatief voor trapmaantjes