Semi-Rounded Bullnose Anti-Slip Stair Nosing 73 x 39mm | 8 Colours

A rounded nosing for steps that are already floored

This is the profile to reach for when a staircase is finished and the step edges are the problem. The tread flange lies flat on top of whatever covering is already down — vinyl, lino, laminate, thin carpet or carpet tile, painted or bare timber, concrete — and the front of the profile curves down 39 mm over the nose, wrapping the leading edge rather than sitting square against it. Because the nose is a curve rather than a right angle, it covers step edges that are themselves rounded, worn or chipped, which a square-fronted nosing cannot do without leaving a gap. A bonded PVC strip runs along the tread flange to give grip where the foot actually lands.

Why the shape matters

The curve does the covering

Most retrofit nosings are folded to a sharp 90° internal angle, so they only sit flush on a step whose front edge is equally sharp. Real staircases rarely are: timber noses get rounded off by decades of traffic, screed edges chip, and many treads were bullnosed from new. The 39 mm curved face on this profile sweeps down and tucks back under toward the riser, so it bridges that geometry and closes the edge without packing or filling.

The insert cannot come loose

The PVC anti-slip strip is bonded into the flange during manufacture, not stuck on afterwards. There is no adhesive layer to fail and no clip-in insert to work its way out of the channel under foot traffic, which is the usual failure mode on cheaper stair edging. It wears down with the aluminium rather than peeling off it.

Thin enough to walk over

At 3 mm gauge with a feathered rear edge, the flange raises the front of the tread by very little and the back of it tapers away to nothing, so there is no lip to catch a toe. The aluminium is mill finish — the natural, lightly brushed silver of the extrusion, not anodised or powder coated — so scuffs blend in rather than showing as a colour break.

Where it gets used

Domestic stair refurbishments over laminate, LVT and thin carpet. Flats and shared houses where communal stairs need edging without lifting the floor. Hotels, care homes and guest houses, where the rounded nose reads softer than an angular commercial profile. Offices, schools and retail back-of-house, usually in Yellow or Red for contrast. And any step edge that is already rounded, worn or chipped, where a square nosing will not sit down properly.

Specifications

Choosing your length and colour

Length. Measure the full width of the tread, not the carpet or the going. The range runs from 800 mm to 3200 mm in 100 mm steps across most of its span, so you can usually order a length that needs little or no trimming. Where your stair falls between two sizes, take the longer one and cut down — a nosing that stops short of the string looks unfinished and leaves the last stretch of edge unprotected. A standard UK domestic flight is around 860 mm wide, so 900 mm is the usual choice; 1000 mm gives more room for error on a stair boxed between two walls. Above 1200 mm you are generally into communal, commercial or open-plan flights. You need one nosing per tread, so count the steps before ordering.

Colour. Black and Grey are the volume sellers and disappear against most modern floors. Beige and Brown suit warm oak, terracotta and stone. Red and Yellow are the high-contrast options, specified where step edges need to be obvious. If you are working to a visual contrast requirement, check the figures against your own floor finish — light reflectance values are not published for these inserts.

Fitting and care

Cut to length with a hacksaw or an angle grinder fitted with a fine metal blade, then file the cut end smooth. Dry-fit first: the curved nose should sit down on the step edge with no rock. Mark through the pre-drilled holes, drill pilot holes to suit your substrate, and fix with screws chosen for that substrate — timber screws into treads, plugs and screws into concrete or screed. Screws are not supplied, because the right fixing depends on what you are fixing into. Press the colour-matched pips into the countersinks to finish. Clean with a damp mop and a neutral detergent; avoid abrasive pads and solvent cleaners, which will dull both the aluminium and the insert.

Common questions

Ordering and delivery

Select your insert colour and length above, and order one nosing per tread. All lengths can be cut down on site, so if your stair falls between two sizes, take the longer one. If you need a length we do not list, an undrilled profile, or help matching an insert colour to a floor sample, get in touch before you order and we will check what the manufacturer can supply.