If you are re-covering a commercial stair and the old edge trim has started to lift, this is the profile that replaces it and stays put. It is a heavy duty aluminium stair nosing, 60mm across the tread and 32mm down the riser, extruded in a 5mm gauge so it sits correctly under contract carpet and the thicker resilient finishes. The back is straight, which means it suits a conventional square riser rather than a raked one — check that before you order. A replaceable anti-slip PVC insert clips into the single channel, and you choose its colour from eleven options; that colour is what gives the step edge its contrast. Six lengths are stocked, from a 1.0m bar for a landing or a narrow flight up to the full 3.22m.
Why it works
The 5mm gauge is what keeps the fixings tight
Stair nosings rarely fail in the material. They fail at the fixing. A thin extrusion flexes every time somebody's weight lands on the overhang, and that small repeated movement is what works screws loose, until the nosing lifts and becomes the hazard it was fitted to prevent. At 5mm the section does not deflect meaningfully under foot traffic, so the fixings stay tight and the floorcovering stays trapped under the flange. The same gauge gives you the depth to bring a heavy contract carpet or a thick vinyl up to the nosing without leaving a lip in the surface.
The insert is the wearing part, and you can change it
The PVC insert takes all of the abrasion, because it is the part being walked on. Here it clips into the channel and lifts out while the aluminium stays screwed to the tread, so a tired stairwell can be brought back to specification without lifting the floorcovering or re-drilling. It also means the contrast colour is not a permanent decision — if the floor finish changes in ten years, the inserts change with it.
What the manufacturer publishes on slip resistance
The manufacturer states that the standard PVC insert achieves category R11 on the DIN 51130:2010 inclined platform test, at a measured angle of 22.9 degrees, and pendulum values under BS 7976-2:2002 of PTV 66 dry and PTV 54 wet. The UK Slip Resistance Group classes a PTV of 36 or above as low slip potential. The manufacturer describes the insert as a REACH-compliant flexible PVC extrusion grade developed specifically for non-scuff stair nosing use. These are the manufacturer's published figures, carried across here — we are a supplier, not a test house.
Where it is used
Schools, colleges and university buildings, where a carpeted stair block takes several hundred passes a day. Office fire escape stairs and feature staircases. Hospitals, health centres and care settings with accessibility obligations. Hotels, leisure centres and retail, where the stair is on show as well as in use. Communal stairs in apartment blocks and student accommodation, and local authority buildings working to BS 8300.
Specification
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Profile |
Straight back, single channel |
| Tread depth |
60mm |
| Riser height |
32mm |
| Gauge |
5mm |
| Material |
Aluminium extrusion, alloy 6063; chemical composition in accordance with BS EN 573-3:2003 and manufacturing tolerance to BS EN 755 — manufacturer stated |
| Channel finish |
Mill as standard (LRV 78.9). Bright Brass and Black channel finishes, anodising and powder coating are offered by the manufacturer to order |
| Insert |
Replaceable clip-in PVC anti-slip insert, eleven colours |
| Slip resistance |
R11 to DIN 51130:2010 at 22.9°; PTV 66 dry / PTV 54 wet to BS 7976-2:2002 — manufacturer stated for the standard PVC insert |
| Insert LRV |
White 79.9 · Yellow 55.7 · Canvas 53.2 · Ice Grey 42.1 · Beige 41.1 · Dolphin Grey 27.6 · Midnight Grey 12.8 · Red 10.6 · Cobalt Blue 9.2 · Brown 9.1 · Black 4.5 — manufacturer stated |
| Lengths |
1.0m, 1.5m, 2.0m, 2.46m, 2.77m and 3.22m. The manufacturer's stock lengths are 2.46m, 2.77m and 3.22m; the shorter bars are cut from stock |
| Fixing |
Adhesive bed plus mechanical fixing through the tread flange |
| Suitable floorcoverings |
Carpet, laminate, LVT and vinyl, tile |
| Use |
Internal. For external and wet locations the manufacturer supplies this profile with a Tredsafe insert instead |
| Cut to length |
Available from the manufacturer to order, with drilling on request |
Choosing the right option
Start with the length. Measure the full width of the tread and order the next bar up, because a nosing can be cut down on site but it cannot be extended. The 2.46m, 2.77m and 3.22m bars are the manufacturer's own stock lengths and cover most commercial flights in one piece; the 1.0m, 1.5m and 2.0m bars suit landings, short runs and domestic-width stairs.
Then choose the insert colour by contrast, not by preference. What matters is the difference in light reflectance value between the insert and the tread covering as seen from the top of the flight, and the LRV figures for all eleven inserts are in the table above. Against a mid-tone carpet, Yellow at 55.7 is the usual specification in education and healthcare. White at 79.9 reads strongly against dark floors; Black at 4.5, Brown at 9.1 and Cobalt Blue at 9.2 read strongly against pale ones. Red is common on escape routes. Dolphin Grey and Ice Grey are the quieter choices, where the specifier wants the edge defined without making a feature of it.
Installation, use and care
The manufacturer's method is: make sure the steps are dry, clean, level and free of debris; mark and drill the fixing positions, plugging where required; apply a suitable adhesive to the underside of the nosing; screw down with appropriately sized screws; then fit the insert, which covers the screw heads. On carpeted stairs the profile goes down first and the carpet is dressed up to and tucked beneath the flange. Do not overtighten into soft substrates.
For cleaning, the manufacturer specifies a neutral detergent on the inserts, thoroughly rinsed with clean water and dried before foot traffic returns. The aluminium channel can be brought back with steel wool or a cloth. The manufacturer states that solvent cleaners should under no circumstances be used on its aluminium products. Check the fixings during routine maintenance, and replace inserts once the anti-slip texture has worn flat.
Frequently asked questions
Will this fit my stairs if the riser slopes back?
No. This is the straight-back version, made for a riser that meets the tread at a right angle. If your riser slopes, you need a rakeback profile instead — ask us and we will point you at the right one.
Can I replace the insert without taking the nosing off?
Yes. The insert clips in and lifts out while the aluminium stays screwed to the stair, so a worn stairwell can be refreshed without lifting carpet or re-drilling treads.
Is it suitable for outdoor steps?
The standard PVC insert is specified for internal use. For external steps and wet areas the manufacturer supplies the same aluminium profile with a Tredsafe insert, which is made for wet and dry conditions — contact us if the stair is exposed to weather.
Does it meet DDA and BS 8300 requirements?
Contrast at the step edge is what those documents are concerned with, and it is achieved here by choosing an insert colour with a suitable LRV difference from the tread covering — the figures are in the specification table. Note that the manufacturer badges certain other profiles in this range as DDA Compliant and does not apply that badge to this one, so if your specification calls for a DDA-marked profile specifically, ask us before ordering.
Can I have it cut to length or pre-drilled?
Yes, through the manufacturer's made-to-measure service, with drilling on request. Contact us with your stair widths before ordering; bespoke cut and drilled lengths are non-returnable.
Ordering and delivery
All eleven insert colours and all six lengths are ordered from this page — choose colour and length above and the price updates for that combination. Orders are dispatched from UK stock. If you need a Bright Brass or Black channel finish, an anodised or powder-coated channel, an insert colour from the manufacturer's wider range, or a made-to-measure length, contact us and we will quote it.
View our complete range of stair nosing profiles — aluminium, rubber and PVC options for every application.