Tiling a staircase leaves you with one hard problem: the front edge of every tread. A cut tile arris chips, a bullnose adds cost and lead time, and a strip screwed on afterwards looks like an afterthought. This heavy duty tile-in nosing solves it as the tiles go down. The aluminium profile is fixed to the step first, its perforated tiling leg beds under the tread tile, and the tiles finish flush against the section. You get a protected, colour-contrasted stair edge that reads as part of the tiling — which is why it appears on office and school stairs as often as in a hallway.
Why it works
The tile does not carry the load
On a tiled stair without a nosing, the most vulnerable point on the flight — the unsupported tile arris at the nose — takes every heel strike, trolley wheel and dropped tool. A 56mm x 55mm aluminium section takes that punishment instead. Internal webs stiffen the tread face against point loads, and the 55mm apron drops over the riser tile to protect that edge too.
Grip where people actually slip
The PVC insert sits in a channel along the very front of the tread, where a foot lands on the way down and a wet sole loses traction first. It is a separate strip, not a coating, so a worn insert can be renewed without disturbing the tiling.
Contrast that carries safety weight
Eleven insert colours let you tone the nose into the tile or deliberately fight it. On a public stair the second is the point: a contrasting nose edge is what makes a flight readable to someone with limited vision. The supplier states this profile meets DDA guidance and Building Regulations.
- Extruded aluminium body, 56mm tread x 55mm riser
- Perforated tiling leg beds under the tread tile
- PVC anti-slip insert, eleven colours
- Pre-drilled, with pips to cap the screw heads
Where it is used
Office and reception staircases, school circulation stairs, hotel and back-of-house steps, retail flights, hospital and care home stairs, and domestic hallways finished in porcelain or ceramic. It also suits changing room and poolside steps, where the insert earns its place. Specified mainly with ceramic tile, it can also be used with wood, laminate and stone tread finishes.
Specifications
| Specification |
Detail |
| Profile type |
Tile-in stair nosing, heavy duty |
| Body material |
Extruded aluminium, mill finish |
| Section size |
56mm tread x 55mm riser |
| Insert |
PVC anti-slip strip, set in the tread channel |
| Insert colours |
White, Black, Brown, Beige, Canvas, Red, Dolphin Grey, Ice Grey, Midnight Grey, Yellow, Cobalt Blue |
| Tile depths |
10mm and 12.5mm |
| Lengths |
1.0m, 1.5m, 2.0m and 3.22m |
| Installation |
Tile-in — fitted before the tiles are laid |
| Fixing |
Pre-drilled; adhesive to the underside plus screws and plugs (screws not supplied) |
| Supplied with |
Pips to cover the fixing holes |
| Compliance |
Supplier states the profile meets DDA guidance and Building Regulations |
| Slip resistance |
No tested slip value is published for this line |
Choosing the right option
Tile depth first. Measure the tile you are actually laying, not the one you were quoted. The two versions differ only in the depth of the tiling channel, and a 12.5mm tile forced into a 10mm channel sits proud of the nose. If your tile falls between the two, take the deeper channel.
Then length. Order the shortest length that clears your flight width, then cut back. 1.0m covers most domestic stairs at 750–900mm; 1.5m and 2.0m suit wider or light commercial flights; 3.22m runs a wide staircase in one piece.
Then insert colour. On a domestic stair, match the insert to the tile or grout and the nose disappears. On anything public, do the opposite: pick the insert that contrasts hardest with the tread tile. Red and Yellow are the conventional high-visibility choices.
Installation, use and care
This profile goes in before the tiles; it cannot be retrofitted. Work on a dry, clean, level step. Mark through the pre-drilled holes, then drill and plug the substrate. Butter the underside with adhesive, set the nosing on the step edge and screw it down; screws are not supplied, so match them to your substrate. Cap each screw head with a supplied pip, then bed the tread tile over the perforated leg and tile up to the profile. Cut with a fine-tooth metal blade and file the edge. Clean with warm water and neutral detergent; abrasives and solvents dull the finish.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fit this to a staircase that is already tiled?
No. The tiling leg has to sit underneath the tread tile, so the nosing must go down before the tiles do. If your stairs are already finished, a surface-mounted stair nosing is the right profile instead.
Are the screws included?
No. The profile arrives pre-drilled and the pips that cap the screw heads are included, but you supply the screws and plugs so that they suit your substrate. Timber, concrete and screed each want something different.
What is the difference between the 10mm and 12.5mm versions?
Only the depth of the channel the tile sits in. Everything else is identical: same section, same insert, same eleven colours, same four lengths. Measure your tile before you order.
Can the insert be replaced later?
Yes. The insert is a separate PVC strip held in the tread channel, so it can be lifted and renewed on a worn flight without lifting any tiles or disturbing the aluminium body. Order the same colour, length and tile depth to match.
Is it suitable for outdoor steps?
Aluminium copes well with weather and this profile is used on covered external steps. For fully exposed steps, use corrosion-resistant fixings and seal the profile edges. No frost or external slip rating is published for this line.
Ordering and delivery
Order one nosing per tread: count the steps, then choose the length that clears your stair width. Select insert colour, length and tile depth above — every combination is priced on its own, so the price updates as you go. Stock is held in the UK and dispatched from our UK warehouse.
