Aluminium Stair Nosing 70x40mm Bullnose, Anti-Slip PVC Insert, 11 Colours

When a commercial staircase starts to show wear at the step edge, the nosing is the cheapest part of the problem to put right and the most important one to get right. This 70 x 40 mm aluminium bullnose is the profile that gets specified on stairs taking real traffic — school circulation cores, hospital corridors, office stairwells, retail and leisure back-of-house. The 70 mm tread plate lays a wide, unmistakable band across the front of every step, and the 40 mm bullnose leg curls down over the riser to protect the arris underneath. A coloured anti-slip PVC insert fills most of that tread width, so the edge reads clearly from above whether the covering is carpet, laminate, LVT or tile. Eleven insert colours, six stock lengths, one profile.

Why it works

A 5 mm gauge built for a refurbishment cycle, not a season

The channel is a 5 mm gauge aluminium extrusion — the manufacturer states alloy 6063 to (DIN) EN 755, with composition to BS EN 573-3:2003. That wall thickness is what separates a heavy duty nosing from a domestic one: it takes trolley wheels, grit and school shoes without the leading edge deforming, and it holds its shape when the floor covering around it is lifted and replaced. The bullnose front is a rolled curve rather than a square arris, which spreads impact and is more forgiving underfoot than a hard 90° edge.

The insert grips, the channel survives

Slip resistance comes from the PVC insert, not the metal. For its standard PVC insert Genesis publishes an inclined platform test result of R11 to DIN 51130:2010 (22.9°, corrected, averaged over six shod results) and a pendulum test to BS 7976-2:2002 of PTV 66 dry and PTV 54 wet — both manufacturer stated. The UK Slip Resistance Group treats PTV 36 and above as low slip potential. The manufacturer also describes the material as a REACH-compliant flexible PVC extrusion grade developed specifically for non-scuff stair nosing use, so the insert resists the scuffing that dulls a painted or taped edge within months.

Contrast you can actually specify

Step-edge visibility is a light reflectance value calculation, and the manufacturer publishes an LRV for every insert colour in this range: 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. The mill-finish aluminium channel is quoted at 78.9. Our supplier states that the profile is “designed in accordance with BS 8300:2009+A1:2010” and describes it as designed with DDA considerations and building regulations in mind. Note that Genesis flags a specific DDA Compliant badge against certain other profiles in this range and not against this one, so treat the DDA reference as the supplier’s general range statement rather than a per-profile certification, and check the LRV difference against your own tread finish before you specify.

Where it is used

Internal staircases in buildings that stay open: primary and secondary schools, further education blocks, NHS and private healthcare corridors, office cores and stairwells, hotels, retail shop floors and stockrooms, libraries, leisure centres and transport concourses. It suits both new build and refurbishment — on a refit the wide tread plate covers the scarred strip left behind by a previous nosing, which is often what makes a like-for-like replacement possible without re-screeding.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Start with the length. Genesis extrudes this profile in 2.46 m, 2.77 m and 3.22 m stock bars; the 1 m, 1.5 m and 2 m rungs are cut from those. If your stair is wider than 3.22 m you are joining two pieces, so plan the joint to fall away from the centre line of travel. Next, the colour. If the nosing is there for accessibility rather than decoration, pick the insert whose LRV differs most from the tread covering — White at 79.9 against a dark carpet, or Black at 4.5 against a pale tile, are the two extremes. Yellow at 55.7 is the usual choice where the requirement is high visibility rather than subtle contrast. If the stair is outside, under a canopy or anywhere it gets wet, this is the wrong profile: ask us for the Tredsafe-insert version instead. And if you want a photoluminescent strip for escape routes, we list a 70 x 40 mm bullnose with one.

Installation, use and care

The steps need to be dry, clean and level before you start. The manufacturer’s method is to drill and plug the tread, run adhesive on the underside of the profile, screw it down, then press the PVC insert into the channel so it covers the screw heads — the supplier lists glue, screw or tape as acceptable fixing methods. Cut with a fine-tooth blade and de-burr the ends. Clean with a neutral detergent and dry the treads before returning them to traffic. Do not use solvent cleaners on the aluminium.

Frequently asked questions

Ordering and delivery

Choose your insert colour and length above; every combination is priced individually. Stock lengths ship on a pallet or bar carrier and longer bars travel on a two-day service. If you need a cutting list, a non-standard length or an anodised finish, email us before you order and we will confirm the lead time in writing.