Top 11 Questions Our Customers Ask When Considering Anti-slip Decking Strips at Home

Adding decking to your garden is a great way of creating an attractive area within your outside space. Whether you use your decking area to relax and entertain during the summer months, or it’s used as a practical walkway to get from one end of the garden to the other, decking areas have grown in popularity over the years. However, the very nature of timber means that decking can become rather slippery in wet and freezing weather.

In the UK, Mother Nature often deals us less than tropical climes. As a result, the beautiful decking areas in our gardens can quickly become an accident waiting to happen. The build up of algae and moss, combined with seasonal frosts, rain and fallen leaves can create a really dangerous, slippery surface. 

Safe Tread’s Anti-Slip Decking Strips offer a cost effective and hassle-free way to add an additional layer of safety. Easy and quick to install, our decking strips are ideal for homeowners looking to make use of their decking areas throughout the year.

Customers often have similar questions relating to our products, so our team has pulled together this handy article to answer the top 11 FAQs which land in our inbox.

 

1. What are the decking strips made from?

Safe Tread’s decking strips are made from tough, hardwearing FRP composite materials, ensuring long-lasting durability with a 10-year guarantee. The strips feature a gritted anti-slip surface, tested to meet BS 7976-2 standards, making them an ideal solution for enhancing safety in both residential and commercial settings.

Proudly manufactured in the UK under an ISO 9001 accredited quality management system, Safe Tread is committed to sustainability. The product range is made using a specialist resin derived from recycled plastic bottles, with over 1,800 bottles saved from landfills or oceans in every 220kg drum of resin used.

 

2. What is the ideal spacing to use between each strip?

When installing our decking strips, we always recommend spacing of between 150mm to 200mm. This helps to ensure the strips provide optimal grip and coverage and remain effective in wet or damp conditions. 

Additionally, this spacing offers a balance between aesthetics and functionality, maintaining a neat appearance while enhancing safety.

  

3. How many strips do you recommend based on the length of my decking?

We usually suggest 4-5 strips per 1m length of decking. Once you know how long your decking area is, it’s simple to calculate the exact number of strips required.

 

4. How are they fixed to the timber?

Available in either un-drilled or pre-drilled form, our decking strips are easily screwed into place onto the timber. We’ve made the installation process super easy and straight forward, so anyone with a screwdriver can do it!

View our handy Installation Guide for Anti-slip Decking Strips.

 

5. Can they be removed if the decking needs to be cleaned?

Due to the nature of the materials that our decking strips are made from, they are easy to maintain. In fact, you don’t have to remove them when the time comes to clean your decking. 

Not only can you easily clean the timber around them using your usual methods, the strips themselves can be cleaned using just water and a stiff bristle broom.

 

6. What is the difference between the different grit levels?

Our decking strips are available in two different grit levels – medium and fine. 

The main difference between the medium and fine grit decking strips lies in their surface texture and the environments they are best suited for.

Medium Grit provides a coarser, more textured surface that offers excellent slip resistance in harsh conditions, such as damp, wet, or frosty weather. This grit level is ideal for areas with high foot traffic or where safety is a priority, including domestic, commercial, and industrial environments. Medium grit decking strips are available in both 50mm and 90mm depths, making them versatile for various interior and exterior applications.

Fine Grit, on the other hand, offers a smoother surface, which is still slip-resistant but designed for more sensitive areas. These strips are perfect for places where barefoot contact is common, such as play areas, hospitals, or schools, and are equally suited to both domestic and commercial settings. Fine grit strips also come in 50mm and 90mm depths, ensuring flexibility for different environments and needs.

 

7. What are the benefits of decking strips over other anti-slip methods?

Decking strips offer several key advantages over other anti-slip methods, making them a popular choice for enhancing safety in both residential and commercial settings.

One of the primary benefits is ease of installation. Decking strips can be quickly and easily fitted onto existing decking or steps, with minimal disruption. This makes them a cost-effective solution compared to resurfacing or replacing decking entirely.

                  

They are also highly durable. Manufactured from tough, weather-resistant materials, Safe Tread decking strips are designed to withstand heavy foot traffic, extreme weather conditions, and general wear and tear. This durability ensures long-lasting slip resistance, particularly in wet, frosty, or damp environments.

Another advantage is the customisation available with decking strips. Safe Tread provides strips in different grit levels, sizes, and colours, allowing you to tailor the solution to specific needs. 

Compared to paints or coatings, decking strips are low maintenance and don’t require frequent reapplication. Once installed, they provide consistent performance, making them a reliable and long-term anti-slip solution for both indoor and outdoor use.

 

8. Can you customise the colours to match certain requirements?

We offer a wide range of standard colours on our website, however if you’re looking for something more bespoke, we can create individual colours based on your requirements at additional cost.

Speak to a member of our team to find out more.

 

9. How much is delivery?

Packing and delivery charges are calculated per consignment up to 20kg, and then calculated by weight and postcode.

Our delivery charges are determined by our external courier service. Due to the size of our products, most of our range is categorised as 'abnormal' which adds an additional price increase.

Your delivery costs will be calculated once you’ve added items to your basket and entered your postal code.

  

10. Do you offer an installation service? 

Although our decking strips are very easy to install yourself, we are able to provide a nationwide installation service to customers for larger projects or business customers. 

 

11. Do you offer free samples?

 

If you would like to check out the quality of our strips before you purchase them, we are able to send out samples absolutely free of charge.

Simply get in touch with your requirements, or fill in this form, and our team will be happy to help.