"stair nosings and inserts"

The ProjectProject Triathlon was conceived as a new build warehouse development at DP World London Gateway. It was designed specifically for use by DHL Supply Chain, the world’s leading contract logistics provider. This brand-new structure would have an internal volume equivalent to 645 Olympic-size swimming pools.Shire Flooring Ltd was employed as the flooring contractor for this huge project. As the new warehouse involved areas which would be used for differing purposes, a range of floorings would be necessary throughout the facility. This meant that a range of flooring accessories would also be needed, to complement the different floorcoverings.The ApproachShire Flooring spoke to Quantum Flooring about supplying the accessories for the project. They would need cove formers and capping strips, to be fitted with resilient floorcoverings. Two types of stair nosings would also be necessary; one to be fitted onto wooden steps, and one to be used on carpeted staircases.Quantum’s QCF35 cove former would be used to curve the vinyl at the floor-to-wall junctions, protecting the floorcovering from damage at the join and making it easier to clean. UCS1 flexible capping strips were selected in both black and white for a mix of colour designs in different parts of the building. These would create a neat finish to the floorcovering up the wall.On the carpeted staircases, Quantum’s ZHF1 stair nosings were chosen. These heavy-duty profiles were fitted with mist coloured tread material, to contrast with the black carpet. For the wooden flooring, ZF125R stair nosings were used. These profiles have a ramped back, so they can be fitted straight onto wood or concrete steps without creating a slip hazard. Black inserts were used to contrast with the natural wood colouring.The stair nosings were fitted using Q-Fix, Quantum’s contact adhesive. Q-Fix is a single solution to fix Quantum stair nosings, with no need for screws or plugs. With a strong and durable bond, there is no more reliable stair nosing adhesive on the market.The OutcomeShire Flooring completed their work on Project Triathlon in 2022. By the end of the project, they had fitted an immense 3000sqm of flooring. They had also fitted 400m of Quantum stair nosings, and 200m of Quantum capping strips and cove formers.Quantum’s UCS1 capping strips in both white and black look great in the warehouse, with the QCF35 cove former assisting in protecting the integrity of the floorcovering where it meets the wall.Meanwhile, the ZHF1 and ZF125R stair nosings look fantastic on their respective staircases. With Quantum’s slip resistant tread material, they are helping to prevent slips, trips, and falls for the many workers at the facility.Shire Flooring did excellent work with Quantum Flooring products in this extensive project. DHL Supply Chain can be happy with a great design scheme, along with products that will keep its workers safe going into the future. 

The ProjectCapital Content is a media content production team based in Cobham. The company provides videos, photography, audio, and various other marketing and branding media for a range of businesses and individuals.Capital Content approached G Harding Flooring, a flooring contractor, to “bring their office to life” with design featured flooring. The company records podcasts, film shoots and other advertising material for clients at their workplace, so the designs needed to match their own vision of how they wanted to be perceived.Glenn from G Harding Flooring carried out a site inspection with the owner of Capital Content, and discussed how to best incorporate their business logos and assets into the flooring layout. This would involve sourcing stair nosings and carpet tiles which would match the colours of the company’s branding.The ApproachGlenn contacted Quantum Flooring to talk about which stair nosings would be suitable for the job. Q-Range DUO Stair Nosings have tread inserts on both the tread and the riser of the profile. This enables the profiles to have either one colour on both or, as with this project, a different colour on the tread and riser for design purposes.Q-Range DUO allowed G Harding Flooring to pick colours for the tread and riser to match Capital Content’s branding and logo. As Glenn says: “We wanted to create a visual ‘wow’ factor to the entrance of the office where visiting clients would be first greeted on arrival – the staircase. Samples of additional colours to match Capital Content’s own branding was a big plus.“By using Quantum’s extensive colour bank, not only were we able to find a perfect match, we found 2! The colours, a bold pink for the tread, and a vibrant blue for the riser, gave the stairwell an abundance of colour that would change as you walked up it.”The OutcomeG Harding Flooring installed the Q-Range DUO profiles using Q-Fix Stair Nosing Adhesive. This has ensured a solid, firm and secure fixing which can withstand the traffic anticipated for the workplace. The stair nosings achieve the aim of an eye-catching entrance to the office, while making the stairs safe and easy to navigate.The branded theme is continued throughout the office, where G Harding Flooring installed hand cut logos and patterns utilising carpet tiles. The results are outstanding, with the offices being an excellent example of G Harding’s flooring design skills, and showcasing Capital Content’s brand and logo.As Glenn from G Harding Flooring says: “The client wanted to show the importance of branding, attention to detail and how to stand out from the crowd as this is a key service they provide to their clients. Where best to start and show off their visions? In their very own workspace.”

Our black anodised Premium CMS stair nosings can be found in the entrance lobby at Queen Street Place, London EC4. Installed by Harper and Edwards, these elegant black anodised stair edgings create an excellent surface contrast to the grey porcelain tiles and natural wood features.

Retail giants, Sports Direct opened a new store in Middlesbrough town centre and have specified NSL02 stair nosings to be used on all of their interior stairs. NSL02 is a slimline rakeback profile that is suited for high levels of footfall, combined with the excellent level of slip resistance that these profiles provide, makes the NSL02 the perfect choice of nosing to be used. A white insert has been used on the top and bottom step in each set of stairs in-order to aid the visually impaired when distinguishing where and when one set ends and another begins.

Hollywood Bowl in Teesside required a simple, stylish stair nosing that would prevent customers from slipping when walking between the lanes and the upper area of the interior. NSL15 with a white insert was used and the results speak for themselves, they look truly stunning!. The NSL Profile is designed to be used in most commercial and industrial applications with a coloured PVC insert.

Pizza Hut in Glasgow have specified NSL15.16 to be used on their staircases to add a stylish look to the stairs whilst minimising the risk of slippage. The NSL15 stair nosing profile is designed to be used in most commercial and industrial applications. It is a straight edged, slimline profile and Pizza Hut have requested a black PVC insert finish.

This straight feature stair and glass bridge is located in a spacious office in the heart of London. The mild steel structure accentuated the urban feel of this commercial space. The laser cut risers came complete with brass nosing inserts for a contemporary appearance and completed with a wax finish.

Seen on all street entrances and internal staircases, AATi type SN93/SL3/140 + SN93/SL3/280 cast metal anti-slip stair nosings are featured throughout and also include London Underground corporate Blue anti-slip resin inserts.

Our Premium Stair Nosings, in a black anodised finish, can be seen at Bond Street Tube Station as part of the Elizabeth Line refurbishment.

Luxury clothing brands retailer, Flannels has just opened a new store in Middlesbrough town centre. By specifying the Genesis rakeback, slimline stair nosing NSL02, means that their stairs will be protected, provide an excellent level of slip resistance and most importantly to the store, will complement the sharp, stylish look of the shop. A white insert has been used on the top and bottom step in each set of stairs in-order to aid the visually impaired when distinguishing where and when one set ends and another begins.

CAT stair nosings have been installed into one of the Worlds first purpose-built meeting facilities based in Westminster, London.​AN69 was the main section to fit the rounded step edge, then aluminium extension piece ANEXT creating a wider tread connected to an ANRE25 ramp edge at the back covering the safety vinyl flooring. Finally, the robust Aluminium ATI49.5 aluminium inserts were inserted into the tread of the AN69 to conceal the screw head fixings and give an all-aluminium finish.​Opening in 1912, the Great Hall has an impressively long history for hosting various events, the first meeting of the United Nations in 1946, debates, concerts and shelter for Londoners during the second world war.​Situated in the venues undercroft, Wesley’s Cafe is a hot spot for visitors and especially popular with tourists, the cafe covers over 300m2 and also is adjacent to further event space. Due to the entrance into the cafe is via a staircase, the constant high footfall called for a stair nosing made up from a combination of our Aluminium products.

CAT BN69 solid brass stair nosings were chosen to help compliment the £50 million refurbishment of this historic 19th century country house.

The ProjectLoughborough College provides a range of courses in further education, along with apprenticeships and professional qualifications. It is based on one of the largest student campuses in Europe, sharing the area with Loughborough University. Over 2000 students attend the college, with some living in adjacent halls of residence.The college staircases needed to be refurbished. The flooring was previously terrazzo, and this was to be changed to a rubber flooring. This was suitable in terms of durability and slip resistance for the large amount of people on the campus. To complement the flooring, the stair nosings had to be equally hard-wearing and safe.The stair nosings needed to adhere to all Building Regulations guidelines, along with BS8300:2-2018 and the Equality Act. This meant that they needed to have great slip resistant properties, and stand out from the black flooring to create a ladder effect on the staircases. This would help people to navigate the stairways, especially those with visual impairments.There was a special request from the college which would help to attain this noticeable difference between the stair nosings and the steps: “Hot Rod Pink” tread material, to match Loughborough College colours.The ApproachMidlands Flooring was hired as the flooring contractor for the refurb. As Hot Rod Pink is not a standard stair nosing colour, Dave Wilson from Midlands Flooring got in touch with a number of manufacturers to see if anyone could rise to the challenge.Within 24 hours, Quantum Flooring returned its proposal for manufacturing bespoke Hot Rod Pink tread material specifically for Loughborough College. The unique stair nosing tread would be made from the same material as Quantum’s normal tread, meaning it would be slip resistant and suitable for the frequent foot traffic.Quantum’s SR125R stair nosings were chosen to fit the tread material into. These profiles have a ramped back, to ensure that there would be no trip hazard on the staircases. They are raked back on the riser, to ensure a perfect fit on the steps. Plus, Quantum’s UTA aluminium stair edging trims were fitted, providing a safe and aesthetically pleasing finish to the side of the steps on the open string stairs.The OutcomeQuantum ensured a fast turnaround on the stair nosings, using the QSMS free measuring service. A Quantum representative electronically measured all of the steps to their precise lengths, and sent the results to the distributor Carpet & Flooring in Birmingham for the stair nosings to be cut and drilled.Midlands Flooring fixed the stair nosings with Q-Fix contact adhesive, ensuring a strong bond to the steps. Secret-fix was used to drill the profiles, meaning the tread material could be fitted on site, and there was no need for unsightly plugs to hide the screws in the tread. Quantum’s SR125R stair nosings with Hot Rod Pink tread material look fantastic in Loughborough College. The college was delighted with the results.Loughborough College has a unique, on-brand stair nosing tread for its refurbished stairways. Midlands Flooring did a fantastic job on the project, and Quantum backed them up with innovation and expedience.

The Tees Valley Hospital located on Church Lane in Acklam, Middlesbrough has used the Genesis NSL26 with a black insert for its staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper. The NSL26 is a slimline rakeback nosing that provides an excellent level of anti slip which is the perfect choice for a health care unit. The NSA stair edge trims have been used in conjunction with the NSL26 and they finish the staircase off perfectly by providing protection for the step ends whilst remaining aesthetically pleasing.

The ProjectRobinsons is one of the largest independent breweries in the UK. It has a rich history, with the family brewing in the centre of Stockport since 1849. Its main building is called the Unicorn Brewery, after the pub which the family originally ran from 1838.The bottling plant needed a refurbishment, to help keep employees safe. The brewery requested a highly slip resistant flooring surface, to deal with the inherent risk of liquid spillages in the plant, which could cause hazards. To go with the floorcovering they also needed a hard-wearing, robust, and highly slip resistant stair nosing.The stair nosing would need to have low slip potential in both dry and wet conditions, to help ensure safety in the plant. The main way the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) assesses the slip resistance of flooring and stair nosings is by using a pendulum test, which measures the friction of a surface. In this way, a pendulum test value (PTV) can be given to different products. Any stair nosing must have a PTV of 36, or more, in dry and wet conditions to be considered low slip potential.The ApproachSteven Holland Flooring contacted Quantum Flooring to discuss the most appropriate stair nosings for the project. They decided to go with Quantum’s Ecoglo slip resistant yellow tread material, Eglo-34, fitted into double-channel SF225R Slenderline carriers.Ecoglo tread infills are often utilised for their photoluminescent qualities. From just 30 minutes of charge with either natural or artificial light, Ecoglo’s photoluminescent strips can provide 7 hours of glow in either internal or external environments. Ecoglo also has a slip resistant silicon carbide tread material.Eglo-34 is one of the highly slip resistant silicon carbide tread infills in the Ecoglo range. It has a PTV of 70 in dry conditions, and 66 in wet conditions. These both easily exceed the minimum required guidelines for low slip potential in HSE publications, and slip resistance in BS 8300-2:2018. This made Eglo-34 ideal for Robinsons Brewery.The OutcomeSteven Holland Flooring expertly cut Quantum’s yellow Eglo-34 silicon carbide strips to size, and fitted them in both channels of the SF225R aluminium stair nosings. As Ecoglo tread material is secret fix, there was no need for plugs to hide the screws.The result looks fantastic and helps to ensure the safety of all employees at the Robinsons bottling plant. The stair nosing is durable and has very low slip potential, with the double channel Eglo-34 double treads maximising the surface area of grip. The SF225R profiles have a ramped back, to remove any trip hazard at the back of the steps.With the help of Quantum’s stair nosings, Steven Holland Flooring have ensured a safe, secure and visually pleasing staircase in Robinsons bottling plant. The installation will be used for years to come, helping to prevent slips, trips and falls on the spiral stairs.

Challenge As part of a major Council Housing refurbishment project Portsmouth City specified the installation of a new vinyl floor covering to all stairwells with new Equality Act compliant stair nosings. The Equality Act offers best practice guidance and recommendations on how to make stairways safe and accessible for partially sighted people. Any new stair nosings for the project would therefore need to feature appropriately sized dimensions, a contrasting band of colour and tactile hazard warning surfaces to assist with user safety.

Floor Furnishings were tasked with fitting flooring in University lecture theatres. The spaces, which would be used by large volumes of people, had to be Equality Act compliant and meet building regulations related to stepped access and slip resistance. Nathan Jefferies, Director of the flooring contractor contacted Quantum to seek technical advice on which Stair Nosings would meet these standards. Quantum provided information on a Stair Nosing that would meet the criteria for this project and this information was passed onto the Architect working on the University buildings.

Located in one of Aberdeen’s historic buildings at the heart of the city, Sandman Signature Aberdeen Hotel is Sandman Hotel Group’s first hotel in Scotland and provides bold, luxurious accommodations. The Hotel is situated in the former Robert Gordon University St Andrews Street campus and is a historic building which contributes to the architectural landscape of the city with 218 beautifully appointed guest rooms. The hotel required long lasting, beautiful to look at, anti-slip stair nosings that would stand the test of time… the contractors specified Genesis NHD08 with an Ice Grey insert – perfect choice!

AATi supplied a staggering 2500 metres (1.55 miles) of cast metal anti-slip stair nosings for the major re-development at London Bridge Station! AATi worked closely with Laing O’Rourke to develop a phased delivery schedule in order to hit key milestones during the projects construction from January 2016 right through to December 2017. Due to the unique ability to manufacture bespoke cast metal products, AATi were on hand to resolve an issue on the project by designing a bespoke nosing to fit around the handrail posts throughout the station.

Over 130 external stair nosings fitted in Belulah Hill, South London providing increased visibility and slip resistance for a block of residential flats.

Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf is a tourist attraction at Bournemouth Beach. The 18 hole course is part of Bournemouth’s famous seafront, which has over 7 million visitors per year. For safety purposes, it was necessary to fit Stair Nosings onto a fire exit staircase at the site.

Brunswick House is a superb new residential scheme of 251 bedrooms, incorporating a mixture of studios and cluster rooms. The scheme is designed to offer outstanding student accommodation for undergraduate, postgraduate and international students in the heart of Cambridge. The client required stair nosings for 7 staircases meaning a total of 296 steps that would be durable enough for high traffic student usage. There was an additional design restraint in that the staircases would be made out of cast metal and therefore no mechanical fixings could be used.

C.A.T. AN15R stair nosings lead the way on numerous staircases throughout the centre. With aluminium castellated ATI49.5 inserts, visually the all aluminium profiles define the step edges also creating excellent slip resistance. A C.A.T. survey team member attended the site with the customer to discuss the suitability of products and requirements, which enabled faster project completion. Designed by OMA Architects, the £55m centre creates an interplay between sports and sciences. A rooftop running track with panoramic views of the sea leads down to the science and laboratory departments, auditorium, double-height sports hall, internal running track and a 25-metre swimming pool. Central to the building concept was social communication with large break-out spaces connected by wide, visually open staircases that link up departments. ​ ​

Gradus supplied stair edgings, barrier matting and carpet to the New Look Support Centre at the Weymouth Gateway development. Committed to retaining its local presence and historic links with Weymouth, fashion retailer New Look underwent regeneration of its Mercery Road site as part of the Weymouth Gateway development. The purpose built New Look Support Centre is a modern three-storey building located at the entrance to the development. The finished look is one of clean modern elevations, substantially glazed to maximise the use of natural light and make the most of the spectacular view from upper levels.

University of Derby has recently refurbished its Nunnery Court halls of residence which included the installation of XT stair edgings to all core staircases. GXT11 from Gradus’ market-leading XT range of stair edgings were specified for the project to enhance the buildings safety, while maintaining a clean and contemporary aesthetic. XT stair edgings comprise an aluminium channel with a slip-resistant insert that extends around the leading edge of the profile to increase underfoot contact with the slip-resistant element of the stair edging, helping to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls on the stairs

Premier Inn is currently renovating several of its hotels and is choosing to install Gradus’ stair edging. RXT521 stair edging comprises a PVC-u channel and riser, providing an all-round visual contrast. The insert extends around the leading edge of the profile to ensure that foot contact is always made with the slip-resistant element of the stair edging. Sarah Simpson, Head of Product Development for Premier Inn, said: “We have large volumes of guests and staff using the stairs in our premises every day, so ensuring we work with a supplier like Gradus is really important.”

We are able to manufacture engineered wood stair units to match our flooring with the same colour and finish.The stair units include the tread and riser and can be made to exact sizes if we have detailed drawings. This means installation costs will be less. These stair cladding units can be fully bonded to old stairs, concrete stairs or Steel stair structures.The cost of these stair units are considerably more than our standard stair nosings and a deposit will be required before production because they will be to your specification. Lead times are around 12 weeks.

Gradus products were supplied throughout the Darwin Building. GXT51 stair edgings with interior inserts in Snowdrift (white) were installed on the main staircase. Boulevard 6000 barrier matting was also installed at the main entrance of the building.

BackgroundWard Flooring were required to fit a Stair Nosing which met DDA and Equality Act guidelines. Whilst helping to create an attractive and colourful new learning environment for the school’s students.SolutionThe new Q Range, available in 21 special profiles of Stair Nosing proved to be the perfect solution. This unique Stair Nosing design proved to be the most suitable solution for installation in Drapers Mills Primary Academy. Owing to its all over tread design, which provides a slip resistant surface from the nose to the back edge, gives the benefit of extra safety when ascending or descending stairs.The satin etched aluminium riser surface provides the double benefit of being scratch resistant and it inhibits the potential for ‘glare’, which is one of the requirements of the latest BS8300:2008 and Building Regulation guidelines applicable to stairways in areas of Public Access. For more information about the Q Range of Stair Nosings visit www.quantumflooring.co.uk.

To create safe and hygienic entrances at the new £65m Balfour Hospital in Orkney, architects specified INTRAform DM with a combination of inserts. The state-of-the-art rural general hospital serves the entire 21,000 strong population of the islands. With a traditional need for shelter against extreme weather conditions, a robust entrance matting system is essential to ward against slips. To create an effective barrier, the multiple entrances at The Balfour Hospital use a combination of fibre and rubber inserts within a single aluminium recessed system.

Few people realise that it is possible to clad old stairs with our engineered herringbone parquet floors. It is a specialist skill and you should only employ trusted professionals who have the specialist equipment. The parquet blocks used here are unfinished so that you get perfect square edges. They are then oiled after all other works are completed so that you get your perfect floor. There is no separate stair nose piece as the top layer of solid Oak is a good 4mm thick and this allows the fitters to create an accurate mitre join.

Gradus' Stratus carpet in Flint (grey) was installed in all of the school classrooms. The carpet forms a clean, blank canvas for the bright accent colours of the furniture and fittings.Primary barrier matting from the Esplanade range was installed to the main entrance and all side entrances reducing the amount of tracked-in dirt and moisture.ADM1 aluminium stair edgings with Jet (black) slip-resistant inserts were fitted to all staircases defining the step and helping to ensure the safety of all users circulating between floors.

Humber Enterprise Park is an 86-acre site in Brough, East Yorkshire developed on the site previously owned by BAE Systems. Gradus carpet, matting and stair edgings (fitted using Gradus Grip) were used throughout. "Using Gradus Grip adhesive for fixing down the Gradus GTX51 & GXT11 profiles at Humber Enterprise Project was more cost effective as it is quicker than mechanically fixing each nosing, it also shortened the installation time as the adhesive sets quicker so there is no need to shut the staircases off for long periods." Nic Clawson Assistant Project Manager, Sandhurst Flooring

Project detailsIn 2008 the MPT consortium* was awarded the Manchester’s Metrolink phase 3a extension project, a 49 stop, £275 million extension to the Manchester Metro. The new build allowed contractors to shop around for the best products for the job, but one essential product could not be found. Throughout this three-year development, best practice and user health and safety have been the priorities. Steps were designed to minimise risk of trips and slips for pedestrians, the disabled and visually impaired. Each of the 1,400 pre-cast concrete steps on the new platforms required a non-slip front edge and MPT scoured the world for suitable products. The design criteria required that the nosing would be: Suitable for heavy use in an external environment Compliant to the Building Regulation Part M Providing a solution in accordance with BS8300 2009 Inner B Code of Practice, against the finished concrete in both wet and dry conditions Our solution Adrian Rowe, MPT Engineering Manager and his team tested a wide range of products, short listing three, including Firm-Step Edge®. Our product met the design criteria but was unavailable in the required specification, size and colour. Not wanting to let this opportunity pass us by, we took up the challenge and developed an exclusive version of Firm-Step Edge® in black, with a 70mm tread and 55mm riser. “Watco was brilliant in sorting out our problem, giving us excellent service throughout. They understood our needs and delivered prototypes in a week. They also developed an exclusive version of their Firm-Step Edge®, in the specified black shade, with a 70mm tread and 55mm riser that fitted on to the rebated precast step to keep the nosing flush. It also had perfect internal angles so it sat snugly on the standard profile of the nose on the precast concrete steps.” Following the first installation in February 2011, Firm-Step Edge® is now being screwed and bonded to steps at every stop along the 49 stop extensions. Firm-Step Edge® is an economical, quick to install safety feature. Firm-Step Edge® offers a tough GRP base that is resistant to stretching, warping and swelling. We offer two grades; medium for internal and coarse for external stairs, both of which are easily glued using Watco Adhesive Mastic or drilled for screw fixing. The textured finish offers excellent slip-resistance and a chamfered back edge minimises trip potential. Available in white or yellow, Firm-Step Edge® can be cut on site if required using a hacksaw or similar cutting tool or we offer a cut to size service. *MPT (M. Pact Thales) is a consortium comprising Laing O’Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales UK.

G Harding Flooring are nationwide flooring contractors. The company specialises in bespoke designs and installations. It has worked with some of the UK’s largest brands, in all sectors from hospitality to healthcare.

There is often a great deal of storage space available under the stairs. Allow us to show you how to make creative and practical use of this space.