Aluminium Stair Nosing 68x33mm Silicon Carbide Ramped Anti Slip

Most stair nosings grip with a PVC insert. This one does not. The 68mm x 33mm profile takes a silicon carbide insert instead — the same abrasive grit surface used on industrial stair treads and GRP decking — which makes it the choice where boots, grit, trolley wheels and wet weather would polish a softer insert smooth. The carrier is heavy duty 5mm gauge aluminium, ramped so it tapers down onto the floor covering rather than presenting a lip, and it carries the range's green photoluminescent strip along the leading edge.

Why it works

Carbide grit, not vinyl

Silicon carbide is a hard abrasive bonded to the insert face. It gives a coarse, aggressive texture that keeps working when it is wet or dirty, and it resists the burnishing that eventually flattens a smooth PVC surface on a very heavily used stair. The trade-off is comfort and cleaning: it is not a surface for bare feet, and the texture holds more dirt than a smooth insert, so it wants brushing rather than wiping.

The glow strip is chemistry, not electronics

The manufacturer identifies the photoluminescent element as europium-doped strontium aluminate, emitting green at a peak wavelength of 520nm, with afterglow brightness of 455 mcd/m² ten minutes after excitation and a highly visible afterglow lasting more than 600 minutes. It charges from ordinary daylight or building lighting and needs no electrical connection, so it keeps marking the step edge when the power drops. The carrier is extruded from 6063 aluminium to BS EN 573-3:2003.

Where it is used

Industrial and back-of-house stairs, plant rooms, workshops and loading areas, service stairs in kitchens and plant spaces, and any flight where the traffic is booted and the floor gets dirty or wet. The ramped profile suits a stair where a raised lip would be a trip hazard or would catch a trolley wheel.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

The choice is narrow here by design: two colours and four lengths. Black is the default for industrial settings where the nosing should disappear into the floor; yellow is the safety choice where the step edge needs to be obvious, and it is the one to pick if visual contrast is part of your brief — though note the manufacturer does not publish an LRV for the carbide insert, so you cannot calculate a contrast figure the way you can with the PVC-insert profiles in this range.

On length, measure the full width of the tread and take the next size up, then cut back on site. There is no 2.46m or 3.22m option on this profile. If you need a wider flight covered, contact us before ordering.

Installation, use and care

Check the step is dry, clean, level and free of debris. Mark and drill your fixing positions and plug the step. Bed the nosing on a suitable adhesive, set it onto the step and screw down. On an industrial stair, use mechanical fixings rather than relying on adhesive or tape.

Clean with a stiff bristle brush and warm soapy water rather than a cloth — the grit surface traps dirt and a wipe will not lift it. A commercial scrubber works well. Do not use solvent cleaners on the aluminium.

Frequently asked questions

Does this take an LED strip?

No. There is no lighting channel and no electrical component. The glowing edge is a photoluminescent strip that stores ambient light and re-emits it once the light goes.

How is carbide different from the PVC insert?

It is a hard abrasive grit rather than a moulded vinyl surface. It stays aggressive when wet or dirty and resists polishing under heavy boot traffic, but it is coarser underfoot and needs brushing rather than wiping to keep clean.

What is the slip rating?

The manufacturer does not publish a slip figure for the silicon carbide insert. We have deliberately not carried across the R11 and pendulum values they publish for the PVC inserts, because those tests were run on a different material.

Why only black and yellow?

That is the full range the manufacturer produces in the carbide insert. If you need another colour, the PVC-insert profiles in this range come in eleven.

Ordering and delivery

Each length is supplied as a single cut piece — order one per step and allow a little extra on the width for trimming. Both colours are available in all four lengths, and UK delivery is one flat rate whatever the order size. If you need a length we do not list, get in touch before ordering.