TOPIC: Steps

I wanted to ask on the following stair conditions.

Home built in 1913.

Basement steps had open risers with carpet installed over them. Is it OK to carpet in this fashion?

3rd floor attic was converted to a finished area.
Steps are unreasonable steep, treads are not even close to current building standards and the stair width is also not compliant.

Just wondering if and how you would report.

Creative to say the least. The pitch of the stairs there is probably not a lot that can be done, but report it anyway. The carpeting, now that I am not positive on, but it just looks dangerous. There is a false sense of security there and if that lets loose and a kid slips on it, let's see, leg stuck in there, head, possibly falling completely through. I would call that out as a safety hazard and recommend it be upgraded to prevent possible injury.

I'm not sure I agree with you Ian.  As long as the carpet is fastened well, I don't see a problem.  Of course that counts for carpet on any stair.  If the carpet lets go, the person would slide down the steps, not slip through between the steps.

Bert, maybe I am looking at this picture wrong. What I see here is this. The backs of the stairs are open, which is how they were built back then, not how they are built now. Now, the carpeting that I see is placed over the back open portion, not on top of the tread, unless I am seeing this wrong. Now, in my opinion, this presents a false sense of security to the occupant. It won't take much for that carpet to come loose and someone could possibly be injured. I think they were trying to create the concept of having the back closed, but didn't want to spend the time and money to do it right.

Like I said, I may be viewing this wrong, but that is how I perceived the pics that David gave us. Dave, is this what was going on? We need to know!

If that is indeed the way it is, basically have risers made out of carpet, than I certainly agree this is a safety hazard.  If it is one long runner of carpet from the top of the stair to the bottom, carpet won't be able to come loose to let someone slip through the riser.  If if were to come loose, the person could slip and fall down but that can happen on any stair.  I thought that the two pictures were of different stair cases.  The one without carpet on the treads to the steep stair, the other to illustrate the carpeted stair.  If they are the same staircase then I'm with you; a safety hazard.

The pictures are of 2 seperate staircases.

One is 2nd floor to attic, or what was an attic.
Second is basement and it has open risers and the carpet is cut in a fashion from top to bottom.

I had never seen carpet installed in this manner with the open risers, it does seem to be the lazy way and not the Mike Holmes way. (I just started watching this show and Mike is my new Idol) (Except for Dominic who stands on the podium heads above the rest)