Are Stair Nosings Really Necessary?

Posted by Angela Blair on Aug 23, 2016 10:00:00 AM

Find me on:

Are_Stair_Nosings_Really_Necessary-.jpg

Over our 30 years in the industry, we’ve been asked countless times - are stair nosings really necessary? We’re realistic. If some cataclysmic event happened today and all stair nosings vanished from the face of the Earth, it probably wouldn’t be a huge deal.  In the grand scheme of things, you could live without them.  But, do you really want to?

Here are the reasons why stair nosing can be an important piece of your flooring installation.

The Cost of Stair Nosings Pays for Itself

stair nosing with people.jpgWhile you may pay more upfront for stair nosings, the profiles tend to pay for themselves down the road.  If you don’t have anything at the edge of a step to protect the flooring, especially in commercial installations, the edge of the flooring will wear down much quicker than the rest of the step and the actual floor. This is because most people walk on the front surface of the step.

When the front of the step looks raveled and worn, it needs to be replaced to renew the look of the stairs. The cost of replacing carpet or flooring can cost more than it would have been to install stair nosings at the outset.

A great alternative to replacing the floorcovering is to retro-fit a stair nosing on the edge of the step. You simply choose an appropriate stair nosing (based on width, thickness, finish, etc.), pull back the carpet or flooring, and install the stair nosing on the edge of the step. The existing flooring on the rest of the step would butt up to the back of the stair nosing and there would be no need to install new flooring.

This not only takes care of an unsightly situation, but also eliminates that problem from happening again, giving you years of extended life for your flooring on the steps.

Stair Nosings Complete the Look of Your Stairs

ADXT1_-_Jet_Insert_-_Stair_nosings.jpgStair nosings also provide a great aesthetic finish to the step - it’s sort of like adding that perfect tie to your suit or those shoes that exactly match your dress. The suit and the dress looked okay on their own, but with the accessory, the looks become more finished and attractive. Likewise, I’m sure that most of you would rather have your installation look extraordinary instead of just okay.  

You can find stair nosings in just about any color, finish, size and shape.  No matter if you’re trying to match the flooring or contrast, you should have no problem finding that “just right” accessory for your project.

See the entire line of Gradus stair nosing profiles in this free floor trims &  stair edgings catalog.

Stair Nosings Provide an Essential Safety Feature

ADXT1_-_carbon_Xtra-Grip_insert_Stair_Nosings.jpgOf course, you can’t forget safety! When the correct stair nosing is chosen, the step is much safer. Most stair nosings either have ridges or an anti-slip property on the tread portion of the profile. This gives you a solid, sturdy surface to step on instead of the slippery finish of carpet, vinyl, or tile.  

Also, the visual impact of a stair nosing helps to differentiate the edge of the step from the rest of the tread portion. When the carpet or flooring isn’t broken up by a stair nosing, it makes it difficult to see where the step begins and ends, with one step blending into the next. This is when those graceful people, like myself, tend to “miss” a step and take a tumble!  

Being able to see the individual steps and their edges makes it much easier to go up and down the steps without incident.

learn more about stair nosing

Topics: Stair Nosings and Edgings

Stair N