Stair Nosing Across the Full Width of the Step Explained
Stair nosing installed across the full width of the step
A clear path of travel ensures access to public facilities for all, including people with disabilities. This allows wheelchair users to move freely from parking lots to ramps and inside buildings. Moreover, SAI Global standards emphasize that everyone should enter buildings without barriers like stairs. Our main goal is to provide individuals in wheelchairs with easy and unimpeded access.
A clear path of travel ensures access to public facilities for all, including people with disabilities. This allows wheelchair users to move freely from parking lots to ramps and inside buildings. Moreover, SAI Global standards emphasize that everyone should enter buildings without barriers like stairs. Our main goal is to provide individuals in wheelchairs with easy and unimpeded access.
Moreover, the extra work was unnecessary since people typically do not walk near the base plates. Building codes did not require the installation; we completed it solely for aesthetic purposes. Therefore, the effort invested in this task raises questions about its practicality and whether it justified the labour involved.
In this situation, the client decided to leave a gap on each side.
Stair nosing installation across the full width of the step explained
The team installed the stair nosing in a location exposed to weather elements, including rain and falling leaves. Additionally, they left a 50mm gap on each side of the stair nosing profile, which not only centered the nosing but also ensured it cleared the base plates. Consequently, these careful considerations enhanced the overall effectiveness of the installation.
The standards recommend a “full path of travel,” ensuring accessibility from parking lots to public buildings, but this does not apply to stairs. It’s essential to install stair nosing where pedestrians are likely to place their feet, and it should not be positioned 50 mm away from the balustrade. Additionally, the base plates of the balustrade must not obstruct the path of travel. In these situations, common sense must prevail. For example, one client sent me a video showing how water pooled behind a step when there was no gap on either side of the stair nosing.