Solid Brass Stair Nosing 63.5mm Bullnose, Anti-Slip Insert, Cut to Size

Specify a brass nosing and you are usually solving two problems at once: a step edge that is taking a beating, and an interior where an anodised aluminium trim would look wrong. This is a slimline single-channel bullnose in solid brass, 63.5mm across the tread, supplied cut to your stair rather than in fixed stock lengths. It is the profile to reach for on stone and timber flights, and on stairs finished in ceramics, laminate, LVT, vinyl or lino, where the covering stops at the nose and the edge itself needs to be metal. The manufacturer rates it for medium to heavy foot traffic in interior situations.

Why it works

The insert does the slip resistance, the brass does the wear

The channel carries a full-length insert, and which one you pick changes the numbers. The manufacturer publishes slip resistance values for each insert family: the Olympic Grip insert is rated SRV 102 dry and 71 wet, castellated PVC SRV 85 dry and 76 wet, smooth textured PVC SRV 65 dry and 56 wet, and the brass insert SRV 82 dry and 54 wet. Castellated PVC holds up best of the four once the surface is wet, which is why it is the usual choice for entrance flights and anywhere people arrive off the street. The brass insert is the aesthetic option — it reads as a single machined bar rather than a two-part trim — and it gives away wet grip to get there.

Solid brass, not a plated finish

The section is solid brass throughout, so the colour goes all the way through and wear at the nose does not expose a different metal underneath. That matters most on the two antique finishes: the manufacturer notes they are chemically applied and hand finished, with a variance from batch to batch, and are intended to produce an aged, unpolished effect rather than a uniform one. Order all your flights together if you want them to match.

Contrast you can specify against

Light reflectance is published per finish, so you can check the step edge against the tread covering before you commit: Polished Brass 71.45, Satin Brass 59.55, Antique Brass 29.55 and Antique Bronze 9.15 — all manufacturer stated.

Where it is used

The manufacturer lists hotels, pubs, clubs, cafes, shops, schools, commercial offices and apartment buildings. In practice it goes into period staircases where a modern trim would jar, hotel and restaurant flights that need to survive service traffic, and refurbished common parts in apartment blocks. It is specified for interior use only — there is no external rating published for this profile.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Start with the insert, because that is what your building control officer and your cleaners will both care about. If the flight is a main circulation route, an entrance, or anywhere wet feet arrive, take castellated PVC — its wet SRV of 76 is the highest of the four and the profiled surface sheds water. If the stair is dry and internal and the look is doing the work, the brass insert gives a continuous metal face. Olympic Grip has the highest dry figure at 102 and suits heavy-duty back-of-house flights where appearance matters less.

Then pick the finish. Polished and Satin Brass are bright and consistent; Antique Brass and Antique Bronze are darker, hand-finished and deliberately variable. Check the LRV figures above against your tread covering if you need a visible contrast at the step edge. Finally, measure each tread individually — old stairs are rarely uniform — and order each nosing to its own length.

Installation, use and care

Nosings are supplied undrilled as standard, so you set out your own fixing centres and countersink to suit the substrate. Drilled options, including drilling for concealing plugs on the PVC insert variants, are available — ask before you order, as drilled pieces are made to order. Fix into a clean, sound, level nose; on timber use screws suited to the tread, on stone or concrete use plugs and screws. Bed the profile down fully so the front face sits tight against the riser with no rocking.

Clean with a damp cloth and a neutral detergent. Do not use abrasive pads or acidic cleaners on any of the finishes. Polished Brass will dull over time unless it is lacquered or regularly polished; the antique finishes are meant to age and should be left alone.

Frequently asked questions

Ordering and delivery

Enter the length you need in millimetres between 700 and 2700 and we cut to that size, to a tolerance of 5mm. Price is per piece and does not change with length within that range, so a short nosing costs the same as a long one. Measure every tread — flights are rarely consistent — and order each piece to its own measurement. If you need Polished Brass longer than 2700mm, or any piece drilled, contact us before ordering.