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Talk to our team about sizes, finishes and fixing.
Stair treads are rarely a round number, and an insert cut a few millimetres short leaves a gap that fills with grit and lifts at the end. This is the same 20mm carborundum insert as our 1m, 1.5m and 2m stock lengths, cut here to the exact millimetre you specify between 250mm and 2000mm, tolerance plus or minus 5mm.
A 20mm-wide strip of aluminium oxide grit bonded into a resin matrix, set in a carrier that beds into a routed groove or fixes to the tread surface. Carborundum is the hardest of the common anti-slip infills: it does not burnish out under footfall the way a soft PVC insert eventually does, which is why it is specified for entrances, plant rooms, external steps and any stair walked on in wet boots.
20mm is the workhorse width. It gives a grip band wide enough for a commercial going to rely on a single strip, and it is the width most often specified where a tread is being retrofitted with one routed groove rather than two.
Cutting carborundum on site is slow and unpleasant: the grit destroys a fine-toothed blade and the dust is abrasive. Cutting in a workshop keeps the ends square and the grit intact right to the end of the strip, so it beds cleanly instead of rocking on a burr. On a stair where every going differs, that is the difference between a day of measuring and cutting and an afternoon of fixing.
| Insert width | 20 mm |
| Anti-slip infill | Carborundum (aluminium oxide grit in resin) |
| Cut length range | 250 mm to 2000 mm, tolerance +/- 5 mm |
| Colours | 12, including four speckled and stone-effect finishes |
| Fixing | Bedded in adhesive into a routed groove, or screw fixed |
| Application | Internal or external |
| Manufactured | United Kingdom |
Measure each tread individually rather than assuming a flight is consistent, and take 3mm to 5mm off a wall-to-wall measurement so the strip drops in without scraping. Set the strip back at least 15mm from the front arris so the nose edge stays intact. The substrate must be clean, dry and free of laitance; bed in a bar of exterior-grade adhesive worked well into the groove and weight the strip until cured. Custom lengths are made to your figures, so they are non-returnable except for faults.
Where the insert is doing a safety job rather than a decorative one, choose a colour that contrasts in tone with the tread: obsidian on pale concrete, chalk or Portland stone on dark stone. The speckled and marble-effect colours are the ones to pick when the strip should read as part of the floor rather than as a warning line.
Cut lengths are made to order; allow additional working days over a stock length and we will confirm a dispatch date. Standard UK mainland delivery is a flat rate. If your treads sit close to 1m, 1.5m or 2m, the stock listing linked above will reach you sooner.
| Service | Timeframe | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard UK Delivery | 2 working days from dispatch | £9.99 |
Orders placed by 2pm (UK time) on a working day are dispatched the same day. Orders placed after 2pm or on non-working days are dispatched the next working day. Delivery takes 2 working days from dispatch. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. UK delivery costs £9.99. Contact us for international enquiries.
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Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 5 reviews.
Arrived swiftly and well packaged. The cutting was spot-on for the amphitheatre steps were servicing, and in wet conditions, the grip has truly been outstanding. Certainly outperforms our expectations compared to any other solution weve tried recently there by far—I could see it surviving many busy events without a worry.
Put it down at the station entrance last winter. The fitting was straightforward, and after months of steady footfall, its still miraculously intact and looking solid. No lifting at the edges or grit underneath—a bit of a lifesaver for those slippery days!
Took a punt on this custom-cut stair insert and was pleasantly surprised! Arrived in great packaging, cut exactly to the length I needed, which made it fit seamlessly into my timber stairs at work. The any minor installation worry vanished once I saw how snuggly it nestled in—no lifting or gaps, even with constant office footwear tramping over it daily.
Got this for a high-traffic hotel lobby, perfect fit on our marble stairs. I just gave the measurements and the pieces slot right in without any hassle. It immediately elevates the whole look without leaving any gaps where dirt might sneak in.
Precise fit - just what I needed to tidy up the old brick steps at our pub entrance with no grit collecting underneath. Cutting it to the exact length was a breeze, ensuring the end stays neat without curling—the any sturdy little insert handled it perfectly even after rainy days and constant foot traffic.
