Need help choosing?
Talk to our team about sizes, finishes and fixing.
When a stair tread needs grip that will still be there in ten years, carborundum is the infill to specify. This is a 25mm strip of aluminium oxide grit bonded into a resin matrix, supplied in ready-cut 1m, 1.5m and 2m lengths for stairs, ramps, walkways and plant-room steps. At 25mm the strip is wide enough that the ball of the foot lands squarely on grit rather than partly on it, which is what a busy public stair actually needs from a single insert.
A soft PVC or rubber insert grips well when new, then slowly burnishes under traffic until the ribs are rounded and the wet performance has quietly halved. Aluminium oxide is one of the hardest abrasives in common use; the grit wears at roughly the same rate as the resin holding it, so fresh sharp edges keep being exposed instead of being smoothed away. That is why carborundum is the default for entrance steps, industrial stairs and anywhere boots arrive wet.
The resin matrix is unaffected by frost, standing water or UV, and there is no plasticiser to migrate out and leave the strip brittle. The same strip specified for an internal plant-room stair can be used on external concrete steps without a change of product.
Alongside obsidian, chalk and amber there are four speckled and stone-effect finishes. Where the strip has to satisfy a safety requirement without shouting, Italian marble or speckled pebble reads as part of the floor from standing height while still giving the tonal contrast a specifier is looking for.
Entrance and lobby steps, external concrete flights, fire escapes, plant rooms and workshops, school and hospital circulation stairs, ramps, and refurbishment work on stone or terrazzo where a routed groove can take a bedded strip without altering the profile of the step.
| Insert width | 25 mm |
| Anti-slip infill | Carborundum (aluminium oxide grit in resin) |
| Stock lengths | 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m |
| 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 |
Width. 25mm is the usual specification for a public or commercial going carried by one strip. Drop to 15mm or 20mm on a domestic stair or where the detail should be discreet; step up to 35mm, 50mm or 55mm on deep goings or where a risk assessment has asked for a broader contact area.
Length. Order the bar that covers your going in one piece; a 1.5m length cuts down to a 1200mm public-stair tread with little waste. If your treads are an awkward width, or every flight differs, order from the cut-to-size version of this insert and we will cut each piece to the millimetre.
Colour. For a safety-driven specification pick a colour that contrasts in tone with the tread rather than one that merely differs in hue: obsidian on pale concrete, chalk or Portland stone on dark stone.
Rout a groove to suit the strip, or fix to the surface where the tread cannot be cut. The substrate must be clean, dry and free of laitance. Bed the strip in an exterior-grade adhesive worked well into the groove, weight it until cured, and keep the strip at least 15mm back from the front arris so the step edge stays intact. Cutting carborundum blunts a fine-toothed blade quickly and the dust is abrasive, so cut outdoors with eye protection, or order cut to size. Clean with a stiff brush and water; do not use solvent or acid cleaners on the resin.
15mm to 25mm is normal. Too close and the arris can spall around the groove; too far back and the foot lands in front of the grit rather than on it.
Yes. The resin matrix is unaffected by frost, standing water and UV, and the same strip is used internally and externally.
Not necessarily. A groove gives the flushest, most durable result and protects the strip edges, but where the tread cannot be cut the strip can be surface-bedded in adhesive.
Order the cut-to-size version linked above and specify each length between 250mm and 2000mm, tolerance plus or minus 5mm.
Stock lengths are dispatched from inventory. Standard UK mainland delivery is a flat rate. Order one strip to check the colour against your tread before committing to a whole flight; grit colours photograph darker than they read on site.
| 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.
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 6 reviews.
Had to sort out the entrance steps of the local shopping mall that had started looking a bit tired. Picking this up-close, you notice its neat finish and how well it blends with the polished tile-like surface around it. It’s been a few months since putting it in, taking heavy foot traffic without losing any of its fresh appearance or vitality—just what’s needed for such a busy place.
Came neatly packaged and slotted into place without a fuss. Set it up on the fire escape around back where its always a bit soggy from that dodgy gutter, and I dont think anyones slipped since. The strip somehow manages to feel sturdy yet comfortable even when youre dashing through in a rush.
Wasnt sure at first if I needed something so heavy-duty, but the detail in the finish is quite impressive up close. The bits came securely packed, and there was no sign of damage, which made everything neat and easy to manage when fixing. Worked a treat on an outdoor staircase leading up to a busy spot; even after some dodgy weather, it’s still secure and looks bang on — just what I wanted in a grip strip for lasting safety.
Got this for smartening up the old stone steps at work—seriously smooth process from delivery to installing the strip. Perfect fit, and really makes the stairs look sharp without fuss, plus it arrived super quick in top-notch packaging.
Installed it on the stairs in the hospital several months ago. Its still holding up well, which is more than I can say for my back after lugging them up three flights! The strips weight adds to its sturdiness, but anyone walking is guaranteed not to slip anytime soon.
Surprisingly solid. Installing it on our fire escape was quite straightforward, and cutting each piece to fit the awkward steps felt easier than I thought it would. The strip gives excellent grip even amid a bit of rust and has held firm so far in all kinds of weather.
