What Is Staircase Nosing In Construction?

What Is Staircase Nosing In Construction?

Stair nosing is the horizontal, protruding edge of a stair where most foot traffic frequently occurs.

It is typically fitted with a non-slip surface to increase traction and prevent injury or even death from slips, trips, and falls.

Stair nosing serves several purposes, including providing extra space for users to place their feet and protecting the treads from damage and general wear.

In commercial and industrial settings, the stair nosing is often required by law to have an abrasive surface or stair tread to minimize the risk of stairway-related injuries.

Stair nosings are also used in residential buildings. Approved Document K – Protection from falling, collision, and impact defines the ‘nosing’ of stairs as ‘the leading edge of a stair tread’.

For dwellings other than dwellings, step nosings should be made visually apparent by using a contrasting material on both the tread and the riser a minimum of 55 mm wide.

For common access areas in buildings that contain flats step nosings should be visually apparent, using a material that contrasts visually, 50 – 65 mm wide on the tread and 30 – 55 mm on the riser.

On an alternating tread stairs alternating steps should be uniform with parallel nosings.

What Does Stair Nosing Look Like?

Stair nosing is the horizontal, protruding edge of a stair where most foot traffic frequently occurs.

It is traditionally projected forward of the riser, the same distance as the thickness of the tread material.

Stair nosing is typically fitted with a non-slip surface to increase traction and prevent injury or even death from slips, trips, and falls.

The purpose of stair nosing is to improve the safety of the staircase by providing extra space for users to place their feet. It also helps protect treads from damage and general wear.

Staircase nosing comes in a variety of shapes and sizes including half-round (also known as “bull-nose”), full-round, no overhang, pencil round, and custom made options.

Half-round stair tread nosing includes a smooth, curved design at the stair edge with a flat surface in between, while full-round nosing is a smooth, rounded curve that extends all the way around the edge of the stair nosing.

No overhang style has a sleek look with its nosing sitting directly flush with the riser below to make it look like one continuous piece of wood, while pencil round has an angled design that resembles a pencil laid sideways across the tread.

Custom made options are available in hardwood, engineered hardwood, and bamboo for a unique look that suits any particular style for your overall aesthetic.

What Are The Materials Used For Stair Nosing?

Stair nosing is available in a variety of materials, shapes, and sizes. Common materials used for stair nosing include aluminum, PVC, rubber, bronze, brass, and wood.

The environment in which the stair nosing will be installed should be taken into consideration when selecting the material and finish.

Stair nosing can be purchased from companies such as Home Depot, Lowes, and BuildDirect. Home Depot offers stair nosing in materials such as M-D Building Products, Hickory, Red Oak, White Oak, and Aluminum, while Lowes offers Wood Species such as Oak and Hickory in Overlap or Flush types.

BuildDirect offers custom made stair treads and noses in hardwood, engineered hardwood, bamboo or to your size and color specification.

The shape of the stair nosing should also be taken into consideration.

Popular designs include Pencil Nosing (with rounded edges), Square Nosing (with slightly rounded edges), Full Round Nosing (with a continuous curve on the front edge of the stair) or No Overhang (where the nosing sits directly flush with the riser below).

Anti-slip strips may also be applied to the nosing to make navigating the stairs easier.

The difference between stair tread and stair nosing is that the tread is the horizontal surface of the stair that a person steps on, while the nosing is the portion of the tread that overhangs the front of the riser.

The rise is the vertical dimension from tread to tread, while the run is the horizontal distance between risers.

Stair nosing strips are made to allow wood strip flooring at upper levels and landings to terminate at a stair with a bullnose edge.

Stair nosing is available in a variety of designs, such as pencil nosing, square nosing, and full round nosing.

Building codes commonly define a stair as “a change in elevation, consisting of one or more risers” with a riser being the vertical portion of the individual steps.