Why do stairs need nosing

This also allows for more options when choosing the design for your railings since you have more space to work with. When nosing is present, our tendency as users typically presses our weight a bit past that. From a visual point of view, the lip of a stair is often extruded and does not appear to be supported by the rise of the stair even if it is. This causes users to tend to place their weight deeper into the step.

Stair nosing prevents users from chipping into the stairs because stair nosing changes how a person steps on the treads of the stairs. This reduces wear-and-tear and thus makes your stairs last longer. Stair nosings make stairs look finished. The extra details that it adds, as mentioned earlier, make each step distinct.

The design of the nosing can make the stair steps look bigger, thicker, and generally nicer. Different types of stair nosings each have their own distinct look and benefits. There is no better or worse, only what best applies to the current context usage, design, etc. These are the five different types of stair nosings. They may be labeled as many different names Bullnose, Shark head, etc.

As the name implies, inward nosings are nosings that are slanted towards the step. This provides the same amount of area for the tread that the nosing is on while reduces the vertical space that the nosing takes up. To make it simple to remember, inward is when the face of the nosing is facing away from the users. Outward nosings are nosings that are slanted away from the step.

This is a great choice of nosings for those transporting objects with wheels on them, such as wheelchairs, regularly. The slanted angle provides a slope that makes it easier for wheels to make it up to the next step. Square nosings are nosings whose face is perpendicular to the tread below it. Round nosing, as the name implies, is nosings with a curved surface. Among the different types, round nosings are the biggest in size, and their radius is often limited to a certain measurement.

All the types of nosings listed above can also be unextended nosings. Risers shall be sloped or the underside of the nosing shall have an angle not less than 60 degrees from the horizontal. Each stair tread is 11 inches mm deep minimum with a sloped riser. In particular, note that while lifting the leading foot, the knee flexes more than the hip, thus causing the toes to have a net backwards movement.

If you think of the stair shape as an indentation rather than a lip , what this does is give the climber a full-depth stair to stand on, while letting the stairs ascend more quickly as in rewobs illustration and still not getting in the way of the ascending foot which travels around the lip:.

So you end up getting a higher slope but still safely accommodate the natural movement of a foot when walking up the stairs and give the climber a full step to stand on. Another way of looking at it is there's an area of space under each step that the foot does not travel through, so you can extend the step out a bit into that unused space to give a full area to stand on. FYI, the overhang is called nosing. Like a door or window casing, the stair nosing covers the seam between two materials meeting--in this case the tread and the riser.

While it may cost more in materials, it's actually cheaper to use trim materials in finish carpentry when you factor in labor. Stairs are built without this nosing, just as they build caseless doors. However, to achieve this look--though it takes fewer materials--takes much more in labor costs. It's a style used today in some modern style interiors. When there isn't an issue of the two materials having to be joined for instance, in concrete steps then the nosing is typically omitted.

In the case of poured-in-place concrete steps it's also cheaper to omit the overhang as it makes the forms simpler. This is a very interesting question. The comfort space to get you feet onto a stair is 30cm tread X 15cm raise, but the comfort space for your next step average from 26cm to 28cm more than that you will make an extra effort to reach the next step..

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Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Why do stairs have overhangs? Ask Question. Asked 6 years, 6 months ago. Active 3 years ago. Viewed 63k times. Most stairs at least here in the US have an overhang or 'nosing' where the edge of the stair protrudes over the riser: I've heard different reasons for why the nosing exists, but I've not been able to find a definitive source.

Reasons I've heard are: It provides more space for feet I'm not sure this is actually true, since it comes at the cost of potentially tripping on the overhang It makes the stair more visible It somehow improves safety It creates clearance for toes and heels biomechanically Can anyone show or point to a source which definitively shows why having the overhang is better than not having it? Improve this question.

I assumed it was simply to allow carpeted stairs space for a vertical tack strip and a tight corner to fix the carpet to discretely.

There may also be a factor of cultural inheritance to the presence of nosings in the US. Steve, i think thats right. Building codes also play an important role. For example, the UK building codes recommend no protruding nosings, although they do also provide specifications for protrusions so evidently they are in use somewhere. See this — tohster. Whatever the reason, I'm glad about it because people are physically larger these days and consequently have bigger feet than they did when stair standards were devised.

Also, improvements in rehab have helped people who would otherwise be in wheelchairs walk, and they are less steady on their feet. So the bottom line is we need more space to put our feet. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes.

Step size and security When they are well designed , they seem to prevent more incidents than what they cause. Saving space You can build stairs using a shorter structure and without losing any space for stepping. Improve this answer. Alejandro Veltri Alejandro Veltri Building inspectors are now asking for no stair nosing in offices, flats or other public stairs. All our stair cladding comes with nosing. If you are unfamiliar with stair cladding, it is the latest innovative solution for home-owners looking to transform their staircase without the expense of buying and installing a brand new staircase entirely.

We stock several different stair cladding systems, including Oak Stair Klad and Solid Oak Cladding to create that desirable and modern oak staircase effect at a fraction of the cost. Acting like a veneer by fixing oak treads and risers to your existing staircase, you can easily rejuvenate the aesthetic of your home, especially when combined with staircase spindles and parts to match.

Oak Stair Klad also includes a bottom bullnose step and top transition step. The entire range of stair cladding is designed to fit a variety of staircases; including straight flight, wider flight, mid-landing and kite winder stairs, and comes ready to blend seamlessly with existing flooring.

For more information, please visit our stair cladding section. Requesting a brochure has never been so easy! Click below to find out more. The perfect option for high-quality staircase parts and joinery supplies at super low prices! Share this page Facebook Twitter.