Specifying a step edge for a commercial job is mostly a question of three decisions: how deep the nosing needs to be, how aggressive the grit needs to be, and how it fixes to whatever the treads are made of. This page is the project view of the FibreGrid EdgeGrip® Heavy Duty range – a pultruded GRP angle with ExtremeCore® ceramic grit, sold in two profiles, two grit grades, three colours and eight lengths so you can price a whole flight, a stairwell or a site off one line. If you want the product view instead, the same range is set out from the spec sheet up on our heavy duty GRP stair nosing page.
Specifying the profile
The profile decision comes first because it is the one that a building control officer will look at. FibreGrid’s guidance is that a nosing must be 55mm x 55mm to meet Building Regulations on new build, since that puts the required depth on the tread and the same depth down the riser face. Specify it on new stairs, on any flight you are handing over as compliant, and wherever the step edge is being rebuilt rather than patched.
The 70mm x 30mm profile is the refurbishment shape. It puts 70mm of grit across the tread – more walking surface, more visual width from above – and drops only 30mm over the riser. That matters on an existing flight where the riser is shallow, already tiled or clad, or where a deeper return would foul the step below.
Choosing the grit grade
Both grades carry the same ExtremeCore® ceramic grit, which FibreGrid rates at 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, bonded into the GRP rather than coated over it. The difference is particle size. Fine is the internal grade: a dense, even surface that sweeps clean and is comfortable underfoot in soft soles, for stairwells inside the building envelope. Coarse is the external grade, with larger, more angular particles and more relief between them, so surface water clears rather than sitting as a film – the grade for fire escapes, yard steps, loading bays and anything under weather.
Both were pendulum tested to BS 7976-2 by Floor Safe Ltd for FibreGrid (test FS10185, 1 March 2015, FourS 96 slider, water contaminant). Fine returned 67 dry and 62 wet; Coarse returned 69 dry and 64 wet. The HSE guidance printed on those certificates puts anything at 36 or above in the low slip potential band.
Colour and step-edge definition
Yellow is the high-visibility option and gives the strongest separation against grey concrete, which is why it is the default on plant, industrial and external stairs. White reads cleanly on pale stone, terrazzo and lighter interiors. Black is the quiet option for stairs where the edge is already defined some other way, or where the client wants the nosing to disappear. Note that no light reflectance value is published for this range, so if your specification calls for a documented visual contrast figure, raise it with us before you order.
Specifications
| Item |
Detail |
| Range |
FibreGrid EdgeGrip® Heavy Duty Anti Slip GRP Stair Nosings |
| Construction |
Pultruded glass reinforced plastic (GRP), ISO resin as standard |
| Anti-slip surface |
ExtremeCore® ceramic grit – manufacturer states 9 on the Mohs hardness scale |
| Grades |
Fine (internal), Coarse (external) |
| Profiles |
55mm x 55mm, 70mm x 30mm |
| Overall thickness |
3mm including grit |
| Colours |
Yellow, White, Black |
| Lengths |
600mm, 750mm, 800mm, 1000mm, 1200mm, 1500mm, 2000mm, 3000mm |
| Pendulum, Fine grade |
PTV 67 dry / 62 wet (BS 7976-2, FourS 96 slider, Floor Safe Ltd for FibreGrid, test FS10185, 01/03/2015) |
| Pendulum, Coarse grade |
PTV 69 dry / 64 wet (BS 7976-2, FourS 96 slider, Floor Safe Ltd for FibreGrid, test FS10185, 01/03/2015) |
| Service temperature |
−20°C to 80°C – manufacturer stated |
| Cutting tolerance |
+/- 3–4mm including cut – manufacturer stated |
| Edge detail |
Chamfered, which the manufacturer states is to avoid creating a further trip hazard |
| Compliance |
The manufacturer states the range is DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) and Building Regulations compliant |
| Fire performance |
A fire retardant version is offered by the manufacturer as an option; the stock profile sold here is standard ISO resin, and no fire classification is published for this line |
| Light reflectance value |
Not published for this line |
| Substrates |
Wood, concrete, metal, stone |
| Fixing |
Bonded with high-strength gap-filling adhesive and mechanically screw-fixed |
Working out what to order
Measure the clear width of the tread, not the flight. A standard UK commercial stair is often 1000mm to 1200mm between strings, so one nosing per step usually comes off the 1000mm or 1200mm line; a domestic or access stair is more often 750mm or 800mm. Order the length that covers the full step in one run wherever you can – a single piece looks better and gives you fewer end joints to work loose. Where a step is wider than 3000mm, butt two lengths and keep the joint away from the walking line. Longer bars can be cut down on site, so ordering up and trimming is usually cheaper than joining.
Fixing to the substrate you have
FibreGrid’s double fixing method bonds and bolts. Run a 6mm bead of high-strength gap-filling adhesive around the underside about 25mm in from the edges, press the nosing home, then fix mechanically about 50mm in from each end and every 400–500mm after that. Into concrete, drill 6mm, plug, and screw down with stainless steel Pozi 32mm x 4.2mm screws set flush. Into timber or steel checker plate, drill 3.85mm and screw straight through. Over open mesh grating – the case in the first photograph – drill 10mm through the nosing between the load bars and bolt through with 40mm dome head bolts, a 40mm washer and a nylock nut. Patch repair any dished concrete before you start, or the nosing will bridge the hollow instead of bedding into it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mix profiles and grades on the same order?
Yes. Every combination of colour, length, profile and grade on this page is a separate stock line, so a job that needs the coarse external grade on the fire escape and the fine internal grade in the stairwell is one order, not two.
Will these fit over open mesh or checker plate treads?
Yes, and FibreGrid publishes a fixing method for both. Over open mesh you bolt through between the load bars with dome head bolts and nylock nuts; over checker plate you drill 3.85mm and screw straight into the steel.
Does the price change with colour, profile or grade?
No. Price is set by length only, so a 1200mm coarse external in yellow costs the same as a 1200mm fine internal in black. That makes it straightforward to price a job before the colour is signed off.
Is a fire rating available?
The manufacturer offers a fire retardant version as an option, but no fire classification is published for the stock profile sold here. If the specification calls for a rated product, contact us before ordering and we will put it to the manufacturer.
How do these differ from the range on your heavy duty page?
They do not – it is the same FibreGrid EdgeGrip Heavy Duty range and the same stock lines. This page is arranged around specifying and ordering for a project; the heavy duty GRP stair nosing page is arranged around the product and its test data. Order from whichever suits you.
Ordering and delivery
Select colour, length and profile before adding to your basket – all three are needed to identify the stock line. Orders placed before the daily cut-off go out on an express UK service, and we can quote schedules of rates for multi-site or framework work. For a length that is not listed, a pre-drilled run, or the fire retardant version, call 01282 270 010 or email sales@stairnosingsuk.co.uk.