A tread slope would be a slight angle that's used to
safely drain any water that lands on top of the stair treads, off of the
stairway. The picture below provides you with an over exaggerated
illustration, but should make its point.
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What Would You Use Tread Slope For?
Obviously, it wouldn't be necessary to slope or angle your stair treads
in any way, on any interior staircase. However, if you're building a
particular type of stairway on the exterior of your home, something like
this could prove to be extremely beneficial.
For example, if you build a set of stairs that's going to have some type
of waterproofing membrane installed over the entire stairway, it
wouldn't be a bad idea to slope each step. This would prevent water from
collecting on each stair tread, for long periods of time.
A sloped stair tread can have at least two major benefits. The first
benefit would be the elimination of potential water damage. Anything you
can do to prevent water from standing on top of any decks, floors,
landings or stairways could extend their life.
All it takes is one small hole or crack in something that is supposed to
be waterproof, to create big problems. One time I seen a small hole was
a quarter of an inch in diameter, ruin a new ceiling that I had just
installed.
The second major benefit for sloping stair steps would be safety. Water
usually makes navigating up and down a stairway, extremely difficult. If
you've done it before, you know what I'm talking about.
Sloped stair treads aren't going to be applicable for every exterior
stairway, but should be considered, during the design and construction
phase.
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