Stainless Steel Tile-In Stair Nosing R9 | 26mm Narrow Profile | Replaceable Insert | 5 Colours

Tiled, stone and screed staircases wear at one place first — the step edge. This 26 mm stainless steel nosing is the profile to specify when that edge needs protecting but a wide safety strip would dominate the flight. The stainless support section is bedded into the adhesive alongside the stair tiles, so the finished step carries no surface fixings and no exposed screw heads. A co-extruded PVC tread insert sits in the profile and provides the R9 slip resistance; when it scuffs or wears, you renew the insert rather than lifting the nosing. Supplied in three heights to match your tile thickness, three lengths and five insert colours.

Why it works

Stainless steel at the point of wear

The step edge takes concentrated load from every footfall, plus trolley wheels, ladders and cleaning machinery. A stainless support section resists the denting and edge-rounding that eventually chips a tile arris, and it does not corrode where cleaning chemicals collect against the nosing. The brushed finish also hides day-to-day scuffing better than a polished or anodised face.

An R9 insert you can renew

The tread is a co-extruded insert — rigid PVC body, soft PVC ribbed surface — rated R9 to DIN 51130. It is the wearing part, and it is designed to be taken out and replaced — so a stairwell walked on for ten years comes back to a clean, high-contrast edge for the cost of an insert rather than a re-tiling job.

Tile-in, not surface-fixed

The perforated anchoring leg is embedded in the tile adhesive beneath the stair tile, keying the profile into the bed. There is no lip standing proud for a heel to catch, nothing to unscrew, and no fixing holes through the tread to collect dirt. The trade-off: it is for new or re-tiled staircases only.

Where it is used

Office stairwells and lift lobbies, retail and showroom stairs, school and college circulation cores, hotel and apartment common stairs, and domestic tiled or stone flights — internal, dry-shod areas carrying heavy foot traffic. It is not intended for external steps, pool surrounds, commercial kitchens or anywhere routinely wet or contaminated underfoot; those need a higher-rated profile.

Specifications

Choosing the right option

Height. The 8 mm, 10 mm and 12.5 mm options are profile heights, and they must match your tile thickness so the insert finishes flush with the tiled surface. Measure the tile itself, not the tile plus adhesive. Where a tile falls between sizes, go up: a nosing marginally proud is easier to live with than one below the tile face, which leaves a lip.

Length. Order the length that lets you run each step in one piece where possible. A butt joint mid-tread is both a wear point and a visible one.

Colour. Choose for contrast, not only for décor. A step edge that blends into the tread does nothing for someone descending in poor light. Black RAL 9011 against pale porcelain, and Light Beige RAL 1019 against dark stone, are the two strongest pairings in this range.

Installation, use and care

Set the profile out before tiling. Comb adhesive over the step nose, press the anchoring leg fully into the bed, then bed the stair tile over the leg and bring the insert level with the tile face. Leave a 1.5–2 mm joint between tile edge and profile and grout it as normal. Clean with a neutral-pH floor cleaner. Keep abrasive pads, chlorine-based products and steel wool off the stainless face — all three will mark it permanently.

Frequently asked questions

Does this meet Part M or BS 8300 for accessible buildings?

No. BS 8300-2 and Approved Document M expect a contrasting nosing of roughly 50–65 mm on the tread with a corresponding band on the riser, and at least 30 LRV points of contrast against the adjacent surface. This profile gives a 26 mm contrasting band on the tread and turns down the step nose only by its own height (8–12.5 mm), so it does not satisfy that. Use it in dwellings and general commercial stairs, and specify a 55 mm two-part nosing where accessibility compliance is required.

Can I fit it to a staircase that is already tiled?

Not without lifting the nose tiles — the anchoring leg has to sit in the adhesive bed. For a finished flight, use a retro-fit nosing that fixes to the face of the existing step instead.

Is R9 enough for a wet area?

No. R9 is the lowest band of the DIN 51130 ramp test and describes a dry internal floor. For entrances, wet rooms, kitchens or external steps, specify R10 or above — and ask for a pendulum test value, since UK slip assessment under HSE and UKSRG guidance is based on PTV rather than R-ratings.

Can I buy replacement inserts on their own?

Yes. Inserts are available separately in all five colours and lift out of the profile without disturbing the tiling. Contact us with the height and colour you need.

What grade is the stainless steel?

Brushed stainless steel. The specific alloy is not published for this line, so if your specification calls for a stated grade, contact us before ordering.

Ordering and delivery

All 45 height, length and colour combinations are available to order. Standard UK delivery is £9.99, 2–4 working days; orders placed before 12 pm Monday to Friday are usually despatched same day. For full-flight quantities, end caps or a stated steel grade, call 01282 270 010 or email sales@stairnosingsuk.co.uk.