Heavy duty bullnose stair nosing for carpeted stairs
Carpeted stairs wear out in one place first: the front edge of the tread. Every footfall lands on the nose of the step, the pile crushes, the backing goes, and you get a bald strip across each step long before the rest of the carpet has aged. This profile is the trade answer to that. It is a heavy duty bullnose nosing in 70mm x 35mm mill-finish aluminium, 5mm gauge, with an anti-slip insert bonded into a channel along the tread face. The deep front hook wraps down and back under the step nose, capping the exact strip of carpet that fails — and it fits over carpet that is already laid.
Why this profile works
The 35mm hook is the whole design
Most carpet trims are a flat plate with a small turned-down lip. They stop at the edge of the tread, leaving the nose of the step — the part that takes the load — to carry the wear. Here the aluminium carries on past the front edge, curves down through a large radius and returns underneath. That hook is 35mm deep, so it encloses a rounded step nose rather than perching on it, and is held by its own geometry as much as by the fixings.
Five millimetre gauge, mill finish
At 5mm the body is a genuinely heavy section for this style, which is what lets it take trolley wheels, luggage and constant footfall without the front edge deflecting. The finish is mill — the raw surface the extrusion leaves, not anodised or powder-coated. It dulls slightly in the first months, then holds.
The insert is bonded, not clipped in
The anti-slip PVC strip is bonded into its channel during manufacture, not pushed into a groove on site, so it cannot be picked out by children or lifted by a vacuum head — a common failure on clip-in nosings in schools and rented property. The trade-off is honest: a worn insert cannot be replaced on its own.
- 35mm deep hook that wraps a rounded step nose
- 5mm gauge aluminium, mill finish, bonded anti-slip insert
- Pre-drilled and countersunk, pips conceal the screw heads
- Fits over carpet already laid — eight colours, twenty-one lengths
Where it is used
Communal stairs in flats and HMOs, care homes and assisted-living schemes, school and college stairwells, hotel guest floors, and offices and shared entrance stairs. Also used domestically where a busy family or a pet has taken the edge off the treads, and as a repair: a chipped or crumbling timber step nose is capped and made good in one operation, without rebuilding the tread.
Specification
| Profile |
Single-channel bullnose stair nosing, surface mounted |
| Tread face width |
70mm |
| Front hook depth |
35mm |
| Gauge thickness |
5mm |
| Body material |
Aluminium, mill finish |
| Insert |
PVC, permanently bonded during manufacture |
| Insert colours |
Black, Grey, Beige, Brown, White, Red, Blue, Yellow |
| Lengths |
800mm to 3200mm, twenty-one stock lengths |
| Fixing |
Screw fix through pre-drilled countersunk holes |
| Suits |
Carpet and carpet tile over a rounded step nose |
| Slip resistance |
No pendulum (PTV) or R-rating figure is published for this line |
Choosing the right option
Check your step nose first. This is a bullnose profile: the 35mm hook is shaped to close around a step whose front edge is rounded. On a square-edged step it bridges the corner and leaves a void underneath that flexes underfoot. Square edges need a square or rake-back profile instead — ask us and we will point you at the right one.
Length. Measure the tread at its widest and take the next length up. A standard UK domestic flight is around 860mm between strings, so 900mm is the usual choice. Lengths run in 100mm steps to 2300mm, which is why the odd sizes are stocked: on a wide flight, 2100mm beats cutting down 2300mm.
Colour. Where Approved Document M or BS 8300 applies, the nosing should contrast visually with the tread: choose an insert with a clearly different light reflectance value — Yellow or White against dark carpet, Black or Brown against light. Where looks matter more, Grey and Beige disappear into most commercial carpet.
Installation, use and care
Fits over carpet that is already down. Position the nosing, mark through the pre-drilled holes, pilot-drill the tread, fix with countersunk screws and press the pips over the heads. Do not overtighten: crushing the pile under the section distorts the aluminium and lifts the front edge. Depending on carpet and underlay thickness a packer may be needed so the nosing sits level. Cut with a mitre saw and a non-ferrous blade and deburr the end. Clean with a damp cloth. Undrilled lengths are available on request.
Common questions
Will it work on a square-edged step? No. The hook is formed to a radius and needs a rounded step nose to close against. On a square edge it sits proud and leaves a gap. Use a square-profile nosing there.
Does it damage the carpet? The screws pass through the pile, and those holes sit under the body of the nosing where they are not seen. The carpet compresses beneath the section, which is normal and recovers if it is later removed.
How thick a carpet will it take? Normal domestic and commercial carpet and carpet tile. Deep pile over thick underlay may stop it seating; a packer usually solves it, but ask before ordering if your build-up is over about 15mm.
Is it slip tested? The insert is a purpose-made anti-slip PVC, but no pendulum test value or R-rating is published for this line. If your specification calls for a stated PTV, ask us to quote a tested profile.
Can I get it wider or deeper? Yes — there is a double-channel version with a wider tread face, and a deeper-hook version for taller step noses. Send us the step dimensions.
Ordering and delivery
Order one nosing per tread: count the steps and multiply. Every colour and length shown is a stock line, normally dispatched within two working days. Lengths over 2500mm travel on a long-parcel service, so allow an extra day. If you are unsure which profile suits your staircase, send a photograph of the step edge and we will confirm before you buy.