Steps built for your feet,or for the whole walker.
Custom steps for small level changes — treads deep enough for a whole foot, or platforms deep enough for a four-wheel walker — with consistent rises and a rail beside them. Measured on site and built to suit the space you have.
The step is the wrongshape, not too high.
Most steps that people fall on are not unusually tall. They are too shallow to get a whole foot onto, or the rise changes partway up because the ground settled, or the last one down is deeper than the rest and nobody expects it.
A foot needs somewhere to land. We build treads at around 300 to 350mm deep, which is enough for a whole adult foot rather than the front half of one, and we keep the rise and the tread the same the whole way up — because the danger in an uneven flight is the one step that is different from the others.
Width matters as much. We aim for around a metre clear, which is what lets someone come down with a hand on a rail and a carer alongside, rather than turning sideways to fit.
Step typeswe build.
Two shapes, decided by what has to get up them. Both are built to the space you have, and both come with a rail.
Minor steps — designed for use on foot
Treads of roughly 300 to 350mm and around a metre of clear width, with the rise and the going kept consistent the whole way. Custom built to the space and the support needed, which is what lets a flight fit where a standard set would not.
Platform steps — designed for a four-wheel walker
Treads of roughly 900 to 1200mm, so the whole frame is on the platform and stable before the person moves their feet. Built to the space available, with room to turn at the top where the door needs opening.
Vital Ease at a glance
- Projects completed
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Projects completed
- Agreements with Home Care Package and NDIS providers
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Agreements with Home Care Package and NDIS providers
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- 1,000+
Valued customers
A walker needs a platform,not a step.
On an ordinary step, a four-wheel walker ends up with its front wheels up and its back wheels down. The frame is on two levels, it will not sit flat, and the person is holding onto something that is no longer stable at the exact moment they need it most.
A platform step solves it by being deep enough to take the whole walker at once — roughly 900 to 1200mm, against the 300 to 350mm of a step meant for feet. The walker goes up, all four wheels land, it settles, and only then does the person move. It is a slower way up and a far safer one.
That depth is also what makes them a different job to quote. A platform flight takes up much more ground than an ordinary one, so the first thing we work out on site is whether the space is there — and if it is not, whether a ramp is the better answer.
Surfaceoptions.
Three materials. The right one is usually decided by whether the steps are in the weather — and on a platform the surface matters more than usual, because wheels are on it rather than shoes.
Composite decking
The most cost-effective, and the least maintenance of the three. A fibreglass and resin material that does not rust, rot, or need recoating, and holds up in weather that would grey off timber. Finished with a contrasting nosing so the edge of each tread is visible in low light.
Merbau
A hardwood that suits most settings and can be finished to sit with a deck or a verandah that is already there. Treated for weather, moisture, and termites, and paired with galvanised rails outdoors. The option most people choose when the steps are in view from the house.
Rubber
Slip resistant, weatherproof, and removable — which makes it the answer for a rental or a short stay. Set in position rather than fixed down, so nothing is drilled and nothing is damaged.
Before you book,a few things to know.
It is fixed work, and it means drilling
Steps and platforms are bolted into the structure so they are weight-bearing and cannot move underfoot or shift under a loaded walker. There is no adhesive version that will do this.
A removable option exists
Rubber steps are set in position rather than fixed down, so nothing is drilled. If permission is the obstacle, this is usually the way around it.
Platforms need more ground than you expect
A platform tread is three to four times the depth of an ordinary one. Where the path, the garden, or the driveway will not give up that much room, we will say so on the visit and talk about a ramp instead.
If you rent, ask first
For fixed steps you will need the owner’s or the agent’s permission before we can start. Ring us and we will tell you what they usually want to see — most say yes once they know what is involved.
Rails are part of the job, not an extra
A set of steps without something to hold is half a job, and a platform without a rail leaves someone with nothing to transfer their hand to as they let go of the walker. We quote the rail alongside the steps so there is no second visit and no second approval.
Additional safetyfeatures.
The things we add to steps and platforms to make them safer, quoted at the same time so nothing needs a second approval.
Banister rails
A rail on one side or both, running the full flight including any platform. Two rails let someone come down facing forwards rather than turning sideways to keep a hand on the only rail there is.
Stair nosings, including on steps you already have
A strip along the front edge of each tread, in a colour that stands out from the step. It is what makes the edge visible to someone whose depth perception has changed, and it can go onto an existing flight without rebuilding it — the cheapest thing on this list by a distance.
Non-slip paint and treatments
Applied to the surface that is already there for grip in the wet. Often the right first move on a set of steps that are the correct shape and simply slippery.
Door threshold inserts
The lip at the top of the flight is often the part that actually trips people, and it is the part that stops a walker dead. An infill or a threshold plate takes it out so the transition into the house is level.
Door magnets
A magnetic catch that holds a swing door open frees up both hands at the top of the steps, instead of leaving someone holding a door and a rail — or a walker — at the same time.
Sensor lighting on the approach
Most falls on steps happen in the dark or the half-dark. A light that comes on by itself, rather than one that needs a switch found first.
How the jobactually runs.
Quoting and measurement
A licensed member of the team measures the rise, the space available for the tread, and how the person actually moves through the flight. For a platform, the ground available for its depth matters most, and we will bring the walker into it. There is no charge for the visit. Where an occupational therapist has written a specification, we quote to it.
A fixed price in writing
Set out so a plan manager, case manager, or occupational therapist can approve it without coming back to us for more detail. Funding is approved before we start.
Manufacture
Made up to your measurements rather than trimmed from stock on the day. Samples and finishes are shown at the measure so you know what you are getting.
Installation
A second visit to fit them, by the same team that measured. Most sets of steps are done in a day, and we take the offcuts and packaging with us.
Warranty
The work is carried out by licensed tradespeople and backed by the relevant warranties. If something is not right, ring the same number you rang the first time.
Steps and platformswe have built.
All photographs are of our own completed work in Melbourne homes.
If there is no roomfor a platform.
A platform tread takes three to four times the ground of an ordinary one. Where the path, the garden, or the driveway will not give up that much room, a ramp is usually the better answer — it needs length rather than depth, and it can often run along a path or a side fence where a flight of platforms cannot.
We would rather say so on the visit than build something too shallow, and we will price both if it is close.
Not sure what you need? We come out, measure up, and give you a written quote. It is free, with no obligation.
Questions
What people ask aboutplatform steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep should a step be?
How deep does a platform step need to be for a walker?
What if there is not enough room for a platform?
Can you rebuild steps that have settled unevenly?
Can a platform step be built onto steps that are already there?
Do I need a rail as well?
I rent. Can I still have steps done?
Will the NDIS or my Home Care Package pay for steps?
Do you build these indoors as well?
How long does a set of steps take?
Can’t see your question? Call us on +61 3 8658 1358 — we’re happy to talk it through.
More from Vital Ease
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