Aluminium Stair Nosing 63.5x30mm Raked Back, 1m & 2m Bars

If you are refurbishing a staircase and the floor covering is staying put, the raked back is the profile that solves the joint. The rear edge of this 63.5mm tread plate tapers from a 4mm gauge down to roughly 1mm, so it lands onto existing vinyl, LVT, laminate, engineered board or hard tile without leaving a ridge for a toe to catch. You get a defined, contrasting step edge and a protected nose without lifting a single plank first. That is the whole argument for a raked back over a square back, and it is why fit-out contractors and specifiers reach for this shape on refurbishment work rather than on new lay.

Why it works

The taper is the point

A flat-backed nosing sitting on top of a finished floor creates a 4mm lip across the full width of every step. On a stair that is a trip hazard and a dirt trap, and it is the first thing to lift under a mop or a vacuum head. Ramping the back edge down to about 1mm removes it. The transition is shallow enough to walk over without registering it, and shallow enough that a broadloom carpet or a vinyl sheet can be dressed over the edge if you want the joint hidden completely.

A 63.5mm tread that still reads as an edge

63.5mm is a working width. It is wide enough to carry a full insert channel and give the foot a genuine landing zone on the going, and narrow enough that it does not dominate a domestic stair or eat into a shallow tread. The nose drops 30mm down the riser face, which covers the vulnerable arris where treads chip and carpet wears through first.

Pick the insert for the surface, not the swatch

The infill is what a foot actually contacts, and the manufacturer publishes slip potential figures for each type. Castellated PVC is the workhorse at SRV 76 wet / 85 dry. Olympic Grip, a coarse gritted band, is the highest at SRV 71 wet / 102 dry and is the one to choose where footwear arrives damp. Smooth textured PVC sits at SRV 56 wet / 65 dry and is a styling choice for dry interiors. The aluminium infills, which give a monolithic metal look, read SRV 54 wet / 82 dry. Those are figures for the insert material, not for a finished installation, but they are the right basis for a comparison between options.

Where it is used

Refurbishment work above all: office and apartment block common stairs being relaid, hotel and student accommodation flights, retail back-of-house, schools outside the main circulation routes, and domestic stairs where a timber or laminate flight needs a durable, visible edge. It suits stone and timber stairs and stairs finished in ceramics, laminate, LVT, vinyl and lino.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Finish. This page carries mill, satin and polished aluminium. Mill is the untreated extrusion and the cheapest; satin is the standard architectural finish; polished is a bright face for a feature stair. For bronze, light bronze or black anodised, use the bronze and black anodised version of this nosing — same extrusion, same inserts, different carrier.

Length. Order the bar that covers your going in one piece. A 2.0 m bar cuts down to two 900 mm domestic treads with an offcut; a 1.0 m bar suits a standard domestic stair with a little to trim. If your treads are an awkward width, or you want every step cut to the millimetre with no site cutting at all, order from the cut-to-size version of this profile instead.

Drilling. Bars ship undrilled, so you can set out the fixings to miss joists, ducts and existing screw lines. The manufacturer will pre-drill for concealing plugs or for a retro-fit infill and charges 5% for it — tell us which you want and we will quote it with your order rather than loading it onto every price on this page.

Contrast. If the stair is a means of escape or is used by people with impaired vision, choose an infill that contrasts strongly in tone with both the tread and the riser. A light insert on a dark floor works as well as the reverse; what matters is the tonal gap, not the hue.

Installation, use and care

The substrate must be sound, clean, dry and flat. Cut to length with a fine-toothed blade in a mitre saw and deburr the cut end. Set out fixings at roughly 250-300 mm centres, starting about 50 mm in from each end, drill and plug the tread, then screw down evenly so the nose sits in continuous contact with the riser face. Do not overtighten a polished or anodised bar; the finish will mark. Clean with a damp cloth and a neutral detergent. Avoid abrasive pads and solvent cleaners, which will dull an anodised surface.

One honest limit: this is a 4 mm gauge interior profile rated for low to medium traffic. Sustained heavy footfall or trolley impact will eventually wear through the anodising to the aluminium beneath. For external, wet or genuinely high-traffic locations, ask us about the glass-fibre reinforced insert build of the same profile.

Frequently asked questions

Will it sit flush on my existing floor?

Yes, that is what the raked back is for. The rear edge tapers to about 1 mm, so it lands on top of a finished floor covering without a pronounced lip. On a new lay where the covering will be brought up to the nosing, a square back profile is the better choice.

Where are the bronze and black anodised finishes?

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

Can I have the bars pre-drilled?

Yes, but it is quoted rather than sold here. The manufacturer offers drilling for concealing plugs and drilling with a retro-fit infill, and charges 5%. Bars on this page ship undrilled; ask us and we will price the drilling alongside your order.

Can I use it outdoors or on a heavy-traffic stair?

No. This build is specified by its manufacturer for interior stairs carrying low to medium traffic. Heavy impact or high footfall can wear through the finish. There is a glass-fibre reinforced insert version of the same profile for external and high-traffic work.

Which infill should I pick for a wet entrance stair?

Olympic Grip. It is the coarsest of the four insert types and carries the manufacturer's highest published wet figure of the group, SRV 71. Castellated PVC at SRV 76 wet is very close and is the more common commercial choice.

Ordering and delivery

All 192 combinations on this page are made to order and dispatched from stock lengths. Standard UK mainland delivery is a flat rate. Order one bar to check the finish against your floor before committing to a whole flight; finishes photograph differently from how they read on site.