Aluminium Stair Nosing 62x32mm Square Edge, 5mm Gauge, 1m & 2m

A square-edge aluminium stair nosing for interior flights — 62mm across the tread, a straight 32mm front leg down the face of the step, and a crisp square corner where the two meet. Supplied in 1 metre and 2 metre bars, in three architectural aluminium finishes and thirty-two insert colours.

The flat front is the whole point of this profile. Where the going and the riser already meet at a sharp arris, a square nosing sits tight against both faces instead of bulging over the edge the way a bullnose does. On a clean modern stair that is the difference between a step edge that looks detailed and one that looks retrofitted.

Why fitters choose this profile

5mm gauge: a carrier, not a cover strip

The extrusion is aluminium alloy 6063 T6 at a 5.0mm gauge. On a stair edge that thickness is the difference between a nosing that stays flat under load and one that dishes between fixings after a couple of years. It is screw-fixed through the face of the tread plate with size 8 screws, so it is mechanically held rather than trusting adhesive, and the back edge is shaped to abut carpet and carpet tiles cleanly.

The insert carries the slip resistance — and the numbers are published

The recessed channel takes a full-width insert that sits proud of the metal, and that is what your foot actually lands on. The manufacturer publishes slip resistance values by insert family: castellated PVC SRV 76 wet / 85 dry; Olympic Grip 71 wet / 102 dry; smooth textured PVC 56 wet / 65 dry; aluminium insert 54 wet / 82 dry. Manufacturer's stated figures for the insert materials, not our own testing — and the reason insert choice matters more than finish choice on any flight that gets damp.

Mill, satin and polished — the three architectural finishes

This page carries the standard aluminium range. Mill is the untreated extrusion and the most economical. Satin is the anodised default and the safest match next to most ironmongery. Polished is a bright, near-mirror face that lifts a feature stair but shows fingerprints in a shared stairwell. If you want the step edge to stop being silver, the same extrusion is also made in bronze, light bronze and black anodised — see the bronze and black anodised version of this nosing.

Where it is used

Interior stairs carrying low to medium traffic: commercial offices, apartment common parts, hotel corridors and bedroom stairs, and domestic staircases where the edge needs protecting without a heavy industrial look. It suits flights finished in carpet or carpet tile, and timber steps where the profile is rebated so the tread plate finishes flush with the going. For external work, or a stair taking genuinely heavy traffic and impact, there is a GRP-insert build of the same profile — that is what to specify there, and we will quote it.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Three choices, and the first two get confused constantly. Finish is the aluminium carrier — the metal you see around the insert and down the front leg. Colour is the insert sitting in the channel. They are picked independently, which is why some combinations read as two metal names: a satin carrier with an aluminium insert, for example. Length is the bar you receive — 1 metre covers most domestic goings, 2 metres is the economical buy if you are cutting several steps from one bar.

Mill aluminium is the untreated extrusion and the cheapest of the three. Satin and polished are anodised and hold their appearance better in a shared stairwell. For bronze, light bronze or black anodised, use the companion listing — same extrusion, same inserts, different carrier.

On the insert: castellated PVC is the default and carries the highest wet figure. Smooth textured looks flatter and more discreet, but the wet figure drops from 76 to 56, so keep it away from entrance flights. Aluminium inserts give an all-metal look at the lowest wet figure. Olympic Grip is the coarsest and the best in the dry.

Installation, use and care

Set out the flight and cut each bar to the going with a mitre saw and a non-ferrous blade. Drill and screw-fix the tread plate to the substrate with size 8 screws at regular centres; on timber steps the profile can be rebated so the plate finishes flush. Fit the nosing before the floorcovering is dressed up to the back edge, then trim the covering to abut the profile. After that it is maintenance-free — a neutral floor cleaner and a damp mop. Keep abrasive pads off the anodised finishes; they cut through the coating and expose bare aluminium.

Frequently asked questions

What lengths does this listing supply, and can I get an exact size?

1 metre and 2 metre bars, priced per bar. If you need a specific measurement, order the cut-to-size version of the same profile — any length from 700mm to 3200mm, with dimensions varying by up to ±5mm in line with the manufacturer's tolerances. Custom cut lengths are non-returnable except where there is a fault.

What is the difference between the Finish option and the Colour option?

Finish is the aluminium carrier — mill, satin or polished on this page. Colour is the insert that sits in the recessed channel. They are chosen independently, which is why some combinations read as two metal names.

Where are the bronze and black anodised finishes?

On the companion listing for the same profile. We split the range across two pages because a single page cannot offer all six finishes, all thirty-two inserts and both bar lengths at once without some combinations becoming unselectable at the checkout.

Can I use this nosing outdoors, or on a heavy-traffic stair?

No. This profile is specified for interior stairs with low to medium traffic volumes. For external locations or heavy foot traffic there is a build in mill aluminium with a glass-fibre reinforced (GRP) anti-slip insert. Ask us and we will quote it.

Which insert has the best slip resistance?

On the manufacturer's stated figures the wet ranking is castellated PVC 76, Olympic Grip 71, smooth textured PVC 56, aluminium 54. Olympic Grip records the highest dry figure at 102. No Approved Document K or M compliance statement is published for this line.

Ordering and delivery

Choose your finish, insert colour and bar length — the price shown is the price for that bar, with nothing added at checkout but delivery. UK mainland delivery is a single flat rate. For an exact measurement rather than a stock bar, use the cut-to-size version of this square edge stair nosing. Matching ramp extensions, tread extenders and a nap detail for broadloom carpet are available — contact us and we will quote them alongside your nosings.