Aluminium Stair Nosing 19.5 x 3mm Rounded Edge Trim for 3mm LVT

A slim anodised edge for stairs finished in 3mm LVT

When luxury vinyl runs up a staircase, the front edge of every tread is the weak point. A 3mm plank has almost no structure of its own, and once its leading edge has been walked on a few hundred times it lifts, curls and eventually tears back from the nose. This profile is the trade answer: a slim extruded aluminium angle that screws down onto the bare tread, lies under the vinyl and caps the step with a rounded metal bead. It is cut for 3mm LVT specifically — the rebate in front of the plate is 3mm deep, so the plank finishes flush against the bead rather than standing proud of it. The manufacturer specifies the profile for light to medium foot traffic in commercial and domestic buildings.

Why it works

The plate does the work, not the nose

The tread plate is 45mm wide and tapers across its span, finishing at 0.75mm at the back edge. That taper matters more than the headline dimensions suggest. It lets the vinyl lie over the plate without a ridge under foot, and it leaves no lip at the back for a heel or a vacuum head to catch. The countersunk fixings sit down in the plate and disappear beneath the plank, so a finished stair shows metal at the nose and nothing else.

The bead is the wearing part

At the front the plate rises into a rounded bead standing 3mm proud — exactly the thickness of the flooring — and from the crown of that bead the nose drops 19.5mm down the riser in a smooth curve. The plank butts the back of the bead, so its cut edge is never exposed: impact from a toe, a suitcase or a mop lands on anodised aluminium instead of on vinyl. Anodising grows colour into the surface of the metal rather than laying it on top, which is why these finishes survive on a stair where a painted or foil-wrapped trim would chip within a season.

Where it is used

Typical work is domestic staircases and landings relaid in luxury vinyl, flats and shared access stairs in managed blocks, and the lighter commercial end — office breakout stairs, clinic and surgery corridors, showrooms, small retail units and school circulation finished in vinyl rather than in a rated safety nosing. It suits refurbishment as readily as new work: the plate is thin enough that it does not appreciably raise the finished tread height when an old carpet has been stripped back to bare timber.

Specifications

A note on the two height figures. The profile is sold as “19.5 x 3mm”. The 19.5mm is the drop of the nose, not the width of the tread plate, and the 3mm is the depth of the flooring rebate. The manufacturer's own attribute table quotes a riser size of 20.5mm, which is the same nose measured from the crown of the bead rather than from the plate. We have carried both figures across rather than quietly choosing between them.

Choosing the right option

Start with the flooring, because it is the one thing you cannot adjust on site. This profile is cut for 3mm LVT and nothing else: a 2mm plank leaves a visible gap behind the bead, and a 5mm plank stands proud of it, which is both a trip point and a poor detail. If your vinyl is 5mm, order the 5mm version of this profile instead.

Then the length. A standard UK domestic tread is around 900mm wide, so a 0.9m bar covers a single step with very little waste. A 1.8m bar gives two treads per length and a 2.7m bar three, which is usually the cheapest route per step across a full flight and leaves an offcut for the landing edge. Measure the widest tread on the flight rather than assuming they match — older stairs rarely do.

Finish last. Bright silver is the most reflective; brushed silver carries a fine directional grain that disguises scuffing well on a busy stair; matt silver is flat and low-sheen; matt black and bronze are there for contrast against a pale or mid-tone plank.

Installation, use and care

Each length arrives pre-drilled and countersunk, with screws and dowels supplied. Fit the nosing to the bare tread before the flooring goes down: set the nose over the front edge of the step, mark and drill through the existing holes, plug a concrete tread first, then drive the screws home so the heads seat flush in their countersinks. Lay the plank last, sliding it forward until its cut edge meets the back of the bead. Cut bars with a fine-tooth hacksaw or a mitre saw fitted with a non-ferrous blade, and file the cut end before fitting. Clean with a damp cloth and a neutral floor cleaner; abrasives and acidic or alkaline products will dull an anodised surface.

Frequently asked questions

Ordering and delivery

All five finishes are stocked in all three lengths and are ordered from the options above; the price updates with your choice. Orders placed before the daily cut-off are despatched the same working day on a tracked service. If you are unsure whether your flooring is 3mm or 5mm, measure a spare plank with a vernier before ordering — it is the one dimension that decides whether this profile fits.