Aluminium Stair Nosing 88x32mm Square Edge Twin Anti Slip Insert

Where a stair edge is being rebuilt rather than dressed, a square-edged nosing is usually the right answer: it gives a hard, unmistakable line at the front of the tread and it sits flush against a square-nosed concrete or timber step without the fuss of matching an angle. This 88 x 32mm aluminium profile is that nosing. Two full-length anti-slip PVC insert bands run side by side across an 88mm tread plate, split by a narrow bare aluminium rib, and the front face drops 32mm dead vertical onto the riser. It is a heavy duty commercial section in 6063 aluminium at a 5mm gauge, sized to sit under contract carpet or a resilient floor covering. Eleven insert colours and six lengths cover both the contrast specification and the ones that just have to disappear.

Why it works

A square edge, not a rake back

The front face of this profile is vertical: 90 degrees to the tread plate, meeting it in a crisp corner with only a hairline radius. That matters in two places. On a square-nosed step it beds flat with no packing and no shadow gap. And from above, the corner reads as a hard line rather than a soft curve, which is exactly what you want a descending user to see. If your treads have a sloping or rounded front, the raked-back 91 x 32mm profile in this range is the one to fit instead.

Two insert bands rather than one

An 88mm tread plate is wide. Filling it with a single band of PVC gives one large flexing surface and one long adhesive line; splitting it into two inserts divided by a bare mill aluminium rib supports each band better and stiffens the extrusion down its length. The twin bands also read as a wider block of colour from the top of a flight than a single strip of the same total area.

A 5mm gauge, not a 5mm floor finish

The gauge quoted for this range is the thickness of the aluminium itself. The 5mm gauge allows for fixing with heavy duty carpets or similar floor coverings - it is what lets the back leg be dressed into a contract carpet, laminate, LVT or tile finish without the nosing standing proud enough to catch a toe. It is a specification of the metal, not a limit on what you lay against it.

Published grip figures

Test data is published for the standard PVC insert used across this range. The insert achieves category R11 on the DIN 51130:2010 inclined platform test (22.9° corrected, average of six shod results) and, on the BS 7976-2:2002 pendulum test, an average PTV of 66 dry and 54 wet. The UK Slip Resistance Group guidance quoted alongside those figures treats a PTV of 36 or above as low slip potential. The insert is a REACH compliant flexible PVC extrusion grade developed for non-scuff stair nosing use.

Where it is used

Office stair cores and shared circulation routes, schools, colleges and university buildings, healthcare and community premises, retail and leisure, and the common stairs of apartment blocks and hotels. It suits refurbishment as readily as new build: where treads are chipped or worn, the profile gives a fresh, square, hard-wearing edge without rebuilding the step.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Start with the edge shape, because that is the fit decision. Square front face here; if the step nose is rounded or slopes forward, use the 91 x 32mm raked-back profile in this range instead. Then the insert colour, because that is the safety decision: work from the light reflectance values above and pick an insert well separated from the LRV of your floor covering - White at 79.9 or Yellow at 55.7 against a dark floor; Black at 4.5, Brown at 9.1 or Cobalt Blue at 9.2 against a pale one. Where the nosing is there for wear rather than wayfinding, Dolphin Grey, Ice Grey and Canvas disappear into most commercial schemes.

Then the length. Stock lengths are 2.46m, 2.77m and 3.22m; our 1m, 1.5m and 2m options are cut from those. Cover the full width of the tread in one piece wherever you can — a butt joint mid-tread is the first place a nosing starts to lift.

If the steps are outside, or exposed to weather and standing water, this is not the profile. A separate Tredsafe insert range is made for external and wet use, and we list a version of it separately.

Installation, use and care

The fitting method is straightforward. Make sure the steps are dry, clean, free of debris, level and even. If the profile is pre-drilled, use the holes to mark the drilling positions, then drill and plug the step. Apply a suitable adhesive to the underside of the nosing, set it down onto the step, and screw down with appropriately sized screws. Fit the insert, or the insert pip over the screw head, last.

For maintenance, the specified method is cleaning the inserts with a neutral detergent, rinsing thoroughly with clean water and letting them dry before foot traffic returns. The aluminium channel can be brought back with steel wool or a cloth. Solvent cleaners should not be used on the aluminium.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between this and the 91 x 32mm profile?

The front face. This 88 x 32mm profile has a square, vertical front face for a square-nosed step. The 91 x 32mm profile in the same range is raked back, angled slightly for steps with a sloping nose, and its tread plate is 3mm wider. Both carry the same twin PVC inserts and the same eleven colours.

How many insert bands does this profile have?

Two. The 88mm tread plate carries two separate anti-slip PVC insert bands side by side, divided by a narrow strip of bare mill aluminium, with a thin aluminium margin along the front and back edges.

Can I use this nosing outdoors?

We do not recommend it. The standard PVC insert fitted to this profile is for internal use. For external steps there is a separate Tredsafe insert range, which we list separately.

What does the 5mm gauge refer to?

The thickness of the aluminium extrusion, not the thickness of a floor covering. The 5mm gauge allows for fixing with heavy duty carpets or similar floor coverings.

Can it be cut to a non-standard length?

Yes. The profile is supplied here in fixed lengths, and aluminium cuts cleanly on site with a fine-tooth blade — deburr the cut end before fixing. It can also be anodised and cut to length to order; contact us if you need that.

Ordering and delivery

Choose your insert colour and length above; every combination of the eleven colours and six lengths is priced individually. Orders are dispatched on a UK-wide courier service. If you need a quantity we do not show, a colour outside the eleven listed, or a made-to-measure length, contact us before ordering and we will price it against the current range.

View our complete range of stair nosing profiles — aluminium, rubber and PVC options for every application.