Solid Brass Stair Nosing 59mm Raked Back Slimline, Single Channel Insert, Cut to Size 700-2500mm

A stair edge that has to look right in a hotel lobby or a refurbished period stairwell, and still be serviceable after a decade of traffic, is where a solid brass nosing earns its place. This profile gives you a 59mm tread face and a 30mm nose in CZ108 brass, with a single 49.5mm channel carrying the anti-slip insert of your choice, cut to your measurement between 700mm and 2500mm. Specify it where the stair is on show and traffic is steady to heavy: the brass patinates rather than wearing through, and the insert is the part you replace.

Why it works

The body outlasts the wear surface. At 2.5mm gauge in solid brass, the nosing does the structural work: taking the impact of the step edge, holding the insert flat and resisting the point loading of trolley wheels and heels. Because the anti-slip element sits in a replaceable channel rather than bonded to the face, a worn stair is brought back to specification by pressing in new inserts, without lifting the nosing.

The raked back suits a raked riser. The riser leg drops 26mm at 83 degrees rather than square, following an undercut riser and closing the joint a square-back profile leaves open.

One channel keeps the section slim. A single 49.5mm x 2.3mm channel is what makes this profile slimline: less brass across the tread than a twin-channel commercial nosing, so it reads as a trim rather than a safety fitting.

Where it is used

This suits stairs that are seen as much as they are used: hotel and restaurant stairs, retail and showroom steps, office reception cores, heritage buildings where aluminium would look wrong, and higher-end residential developments. It works over LVT, vinyl, lino, rubber and woven vinyl, and fixes directly to a concrete or timber stair substrate.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Finish sets the appearance of the brass body. Polished Brass is brightest and shows fingerprints soonest; Satin Brass has the same tone with a brushed face that hides handling far better; Antique Brass and Antique Bronze are pre-darkened, which suits heritage work and disguises the patina brass develops anyway. Each insert colour is photographed in each finish, so check the image for your combination before you order.

Insert is a separate choice from the body, and it does the anti-slip work. Castellated PVC is the ridged general-purpose option, in 23 colours. Smooth Textured PVC gives a flatter face that sweeps and mops more easily. Black Olympic Grip is the coarsest, for wetter or heavier-traffic stairs. The four options listed as Antique Brass Insert, Antique Bronze Insert, Polished Brass Insert and Satin Brass Insert are ribbed metal strips rather than PVC, for where the nosing should read as one continuous piece of brass; they cost more and give less visual contrast.

Drilling determines how it fixes. Choose No Drilling if you are bonding the nosing or setting out your own fixing centres on site. Choose Drilled Hidden Fix and the holes are drilled along the insert channel before dispatch, so the screw heads sit below the insert line and disappear once it is pressed in. Drilled pieces are made to order and are not returnable unless faulty.

Visual contrast. Approved Document M and BS 8300-2:2018 describe a contrasting band of roughly 50 to 65mm on the tread and 30 to 55mm on the riser. Here the contrasting element is the 49.5mm insert on the tread and there is no separate band on the riser, so check a scheme assessed against full banding with your access statement first.

Installation, use and care

Set the nosing out dry and check the cut length against the going, allowing for the tolerance. Fix to a clean, sound, level substrate: screw through the channel into suitable plugs, bed on a flooring-grade adhesive, or use both where traffic is heavy. Press the insert in only once fixings are in and any adhesive has cured. Clean with warm water and a soft cloth; avoid abrasive creams and acidic descalers. Unlacquered brass darkens over time, so leave it for the patina or restore it with brass polish.

Frequently asked questions

What length will I actually receive?
The length you specify, between 700mm and 2500mm, cut before dispatch. Allow for the +/- 5mm tolerance when setting out rather than ordering a tight fit between two walls.

Can I order longer than 2500mm?
No: 2500mm is the maximum in this profile. For a wider stair, order two lengths and butt them, or ask us about longer bars.

Can I replace just the insert later?
Yes, that is the point of the channel. Inserts are ordered separately in the same 49.5mm width and pressed into the fitted nosing, refreshing a worn stair without removing the brass.

Is it suitable for external steps?
No external slip rating is published for these inserts and the profile is specified for internal use. For outdoor stairs, ask us about a GRP or external-rated nosing.

Ordering and delivery

Give us the finish, insert, drilling option and length in millimetres; the price is per piece for any length up to 2500mm, and the nosing is cut to that measurement before dispatch. Because each piece is made to your dimension, cut lengths are non-returnable unless faulty. Order a sample first if unsure of the insert colour or finish. Call 01282 270 010 or email sales@stairnosingsuk.co.uk to have the specification checked.