Safer floors for older adults: rugs, stairs, transitions and slippery surfaces

Updated November 11, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

Do floors matter for falls in older people?

Yes, though they are one factor among many. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says more than one in four people aged 65 and older falls each year, that falling once doubles the chance of falling again, and that falls lead to about 4.5 million emergency department visits a year among older people. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults. Among the risk factors it lists are home hazards such as broken or uneven steps and throw rugs or clutter that can be tripped over. It also says most falls come from a combination of risk factors, so a new floor is no substitute for the medical and exercise advice the CDC gives.

What do the health agencies recommend for floors?

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) gives the most specific advice. For floors, stairways and hallways, it recommends:

• Fixing carpets firmly. Check that all carpets are fixed firmly to the floor so they will not slip.
• No throw rugs or small area rugs.
• No-slip strips on tile and wooden floors, which it says are sold at hardware stores.
• Care with wet floors. Do not walk on slippery, newly washed floors, and in bathrooms put nonskid mats, strips or carpet on every surface that may get wet.
• Clear paths. Do not leave books, papers, clothes or shoes on the floor or stairs.
• Good light. Light switches at the top and bottom of stairs and at each end of a long hall, and motion-activated night lights along paths.
• Handrails on both sides of stairs, held on the way up and down.

The CDC's own list for making a home safer is shorter: get rid of things you could trip over, add grab bars in the bathroom, put railings on both sides of stairs and add more or brighter light.

Which floor is safest?

No government source read for this guide ranks flooring materials by slip resistance for homes, so this guide does not. What the sources do support is attention to the details that create hazards whatever the material: loose carpet, rugs, uneven steps, wet surfaces and poor light.

The flooring trades add a few points within their own areas:

• Stairs. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), the carpet industry's association, recommends that carpet pile run up the stairs to help prevent slips and falls. It also says cut pile carpet should have a firm cushion no thicker than 7/16 of an inch, and Berber carpet a very firm one no thicker than 3/8 of an inch, and that manufacturers set their own cushion specifications.
• Height changes between rooms. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), a tile industry education body, notes that extra subflooring needed under stone or tile will most likely raise the new floor above neighboring floors, and says the difference should be agreed before installation. It lists the transition to the adjacent floor among the questions to ask an installer.
• Sheen. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), the hardwood trade body, describes finishes from gloss, which reflects the most light, to matte, which reflects the least. It does not link sheen to slipperiness, and nor does any source read here; choose by preference and ask about the specific product.

What should you ask an installer?

For the home of someone older, or someone planning to stay in their home as they age, add these to the usual questions:

1. How will transitions between rooms be handled, and what will the height difference be at each doorway?
2. How will stair treads and nosings be finished, and will carpet on stairs be fixed firmly with the pile running up?
3. What cushion will go under carpet, and does it meet the carpet maker's specification?
4. Can the bathroom floor take nonskid mats or strips, and what does the tile or flooring maker recommend?
5. How long must the household stay off the floor while finishes or grout cure, and what is the safest route through the house in the meantime?

The answers belong in the written contract. Pennsylvania's home improvement law requires the contract to describe the materials and specifications, which cannot be changed without a written change order signed by both of you.

What does stair and floor work cost?

Angi's national survey prices new flooring on stairs at $11 to $160 a step, with carpet at the low end and hardwood at the high end, and lists baseboards at $800 to $2,250 as an add-on. Other prices by material are in the cost guide.

Where can older homeowners find help?

The NIA says many state and local governments run education or home modification programs to help older people prevent falls, and suggests checking with the local health department, searching the Eldercare Locator, or calling 800-677-1116 to find the local Area Agency on Aging. It adds that after a fall, a doctor may arrange for an occupational therapist, physical therapist or nurse to assess the home. Local help in this region varies by county; Philadelphia's options are noted in the Philadelphia flooring guide.

Signs that a floor has become a hazard are in signs your floors need work. Businesses are listed on the flooring contractors directory page.

Sources

1. Facts About Older Adult Falls, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2. Preventing Falls and Hip Fractures, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3. Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room, National Institute on Aging
4. Frequently Asked Questions, The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
5. The Homeowner's Guide to Hiring a Qualified Tile Installer, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF)
6. Finishes, National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
7. How Much Does Flooring Installation Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
8. 2008 Act 132 (Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act), Pennsylvania General Assembly