Stair Nosings

Description

A stair nosing is a profile fixed along the front edge of a step. It protects the most heavily worn part of the staircase, puts a slip-resistant surface where the foot actually lands, and marks the edge clearly enough to be judged at a glance. This is our full range — every material, profile shape and width we stock, for domestic, commercial and industrial stairs.

Choosing by material

• Aluminium — the default for busy stairs. Corrosion resistant, available in every profile shape and finish, and the grip insert is replaceable, so a worn stair is renewed rather than refitted.
• GRP — the highest wet grip of the common materials and unaffected by salt or chemicals. The specification for external, marine, industrial and wash-down stairs.
• Stainless steel — maximum durability and impact resistance for heavy industrial and hygiene-critical settings.
• Solid brass — chosen for appearance in heritage, hotel and retail work. Patinates rather than looking worn, but needs polishing.
• Rubber and PVC — cheap, quiet underfoot and flexible over uneven edges, but they degrade under UV so keep them indoors.

Choosing by profile shape

• Square or straight edge — a full vertical face protecting tread and riser. The standard commercial profile.
• Rakeback — the vertical face angles back under the tread, suiting an existing raked riser and reading as less bulky from below.
• Bullnose — a rounded leading edge that wears evenly and softens a sharp corner.
• Tile-in — a thin leg beds into the tile adhesive so the nose finishes flush with a tiled tread. Specify by tile thickness.
• Push-in and channel — captures the edge of a thin covering rather than sitting beside it. See vinyl and LVT profiles.
• Illuminated — carries an LED strip for escape routes, cinemas and stepped seating.

Choosing by floor covering

The covering decides both the profile depth and the fixing method. Carpet needs a profile that grips and retains the edge, with screws long enough to reach solid material through carpet and underlay. Tile needs a tile-in profile matched to tile thickness. LVT, vinyl and laminate usually take a push-in or slim surface-mounted profile with a channel that captures the cut edge. Timber and concrete take almost anything, screw-fixed.

Sizing and gauge

Sizes are quoted as tread cover by riser height. As a rough guide, 25 × 25mm suits domestic stairs, 50 × 50mm commercial ones, and 71 × 55mm deeper commercial treads. Measure the depth of your existing step edge before ordering, and make sure the nosing still leaves a comfortable walking surface behind it.

Gauge is the metal thickness, and it is what separates a profile that survives wheeled traffic from one that dishes under it: 1.5mm for light domestic duty, 2.5–3mm for general commercial, 5mm for industrial stairs. Aluminium is typically stocked in 2.4m to 3.22m lengths, GRP from 400mm to 3m, and retro-fit profiles in shorter 1m to 2.5m runs. All cut to size on site.

Measure every step individually — flight widths commonly vary by several millimetres in older buildings — and leave 2 to 3mm clearance at each end for thermal movement.

Slip resistance

In the UK, slip resistance is measured by the pendulum test to BS 7976, now BS EN 16165, giving a Pendulum Test Value. The HSE benchmark is PTV 36 or above in the wet: 0–24 is high slip potential, 25–35 moderate, 36 and above low. Specify 65 or above where contamination is likely.

R ratings from the German DIN 51130 ramp test, R9 to R13, are also quoted. They are not interchangeable with PTV — that test uses motor oil and safety boots, and a single R10 rating can span pendulum results from 20 to 60. Where slip performance has to be evidenced, the PTV is the figure that carries weight.

UK standards and compliance

Worth separating what is law from what is guidance:

• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 12 — law. Floors and traffic routes must not be slippery so as to expose anyone to a risk to their health or safety.
• Approved Document K — stair geometry: going, rise, and how far a nosing may project over the tread below, for which 25mm is the figure to work to.
• Approved Document M — access, and the source of the 55mm × 55mm contrasting band across tread and riser for buildings other than dwellings.
• BS 8300-2:2018 — a British Standard referenced by Part M, not law in itself. It recommends at least 30 points of Light Reflectance Value difference between nosing and tread.
• Equality Act 2010 — a duty to make reasonable adjustments. It does not itself specify stair nosings, and it replaced the Disability Discrimination Act, so "DDA compliant" is trade shorthand rather than a current legal test.

A defensible non-domestic specification reads: a 55mm × 55mm profile, in a colour clearing 30 LRV points against the tread, achieving at least 36 PTV wet. Use our LRV contrast calculator to check a colour combination before committing.

Fitting

Screw fixing is the default for concrete, timber and steel, and for anything commercial, external or carrying wheeled traffic — roughly 150mm centres on concrete, never fewer than three per step, always one near each end. High-grab adhesive is fine for domestic stairs and short runs on a smooth, sound, dry substrate, but needs above 5°C to cure.

Our step-by-step installation guide covers surveying, substrate preparation, cutting by material and the mistakes that cause callbacks. For specification end to end, see the complete guide to stair nosings.

Frequently asked questions

What size stair nosing do I need?
Sizes are quoted as tread cover by riser height. 25 × 25mm is typical for domestic stairs, 50 × 50mm for commercial, and 71 × 55mm for deeper commercial treads. Where Approved Document M applies, work to a 55mm contrasting band on both tread and riser. Measure the existing step edge before ordering.

Can stair nosings be cut to length?
Yes. Aluminium, GRP, rubber and PVC all cut cleanly — a hacksaw, mitre saw or angle grinder with the right blade. Support the profile both sides of the cut, file the end smooth, and touch in exposed cuts on coated aluminium. A cut-to-length service is available on request.

Do stair nosings need to be screwed down?
It depends on traffic. High-grab adhesive is fine for domestic stairs and short runs. For commercial stairs, anything external, and for any GRP profile, screw fixing is the durable choice.

Which material should I choose?
Aluminium for general indoor commercial and domestic work, GRP for anything external, industrial or regularly wet, stainless for heavy-duty and hygiene-critical settings, brass where appearance leads. Environment decides it more than budget does.

Are stair nosings a legal requirement?
Not as a standalone product requirement. What binds is regulation 12 of the Workplace Regulations 1992 and the Building Regulations where you are building or materially altering. Approved Document M sets the 55mm contrasting band for non-domestic buildings. A nosing is the usual way of satisfying those.

Can nosings be fitted to existing stairs?
Yes — retrofit is the normal case, provided the step edge is sound enough to hold a fixing. Where the edge is crumbling, repair it with epoxy mortar first. A nosing is edge protection, not a structural repair.

All stair nosing strips are UK stock with fast delivery. Order before the daily cut-off for next-day dispatch, or call 01282 270 010 if you need help choosing the right profile for your staircase.