Stainless stair nosing?

[pago cruiser]

Am laying down some sheet vinyl under a new toilet; the toilet is on a platform, and I need (I think) a sort of stair nose in order to cover the 90 degree angle.



Found this, and several other similar; aluminum, vinyl, frp, etc.



Problem is, this corner is going to see a lot of foot traffic wear. Step up, step down, repeat as long as we own this thing...

Have been trying to find some in polished SS - OTHER than diamond plate, and with a slight convex curve to it - like the vertical part in the "Profile A" above. It may scratch, but unlike anodized aluminum, vinyl, or FRP, a rock caught in the tread of a boot that is then ground into the nosing will not bugger the finish terrible. Besides, I like stainless - it never wears out...

Anybody seen something like this?

[cameront120]

Why not just wrap the vinyl over a bull nosed edge and be done with it? For the record, I have the nosing in your picture on my outside stairs and, after several years, still looks new. They get far more use than your toilet will ever see, so I think the aluminum will suit your application just fine.

[pago cruiser]

Wow. Thanks for the quick reply.

Good to hear about the longevity of the aluminum nosing. I have seen a lot of it in various applications wear it has worn to the point of looking ratty.

I do not see how to get a bull nose corner on this? The vertical member is about 3/8" thick, and you can just barely see all the staples holding the corner together. I have a router, and I'm not above sacrificing a bit to make this happen. But I don't think there would be enough meat left to hold the corner together - unless I were to replace the vertical with something thicker?

Oddly enough, I have not been able to find any pics of sheet vinyl in this situation - wrapping around the corner.

[ALUMINUMINUM]

Hi There,

The image you show is indeed the most common household box-store aluminum stair nosing, and I wouldn't expect it to wear out. You can usually remove the anodize with Easy-Off oven cleaner, or simply buy Mill finish and polish it yourself.

If I didn't want the box-store look, I'd buy ordinary 1/8" or 1/16" thick aluminum or stainless 1" angle, ease the edges, seal the top horizontal leg down to the sheet vinyl with silicone or polyurethane adhesive, and use VHB 4950 tape to secure the lower, vertical leg along the oak riser. That way you have a neat, no screws look, as shiny as you're willing to polish.

If you don't trust the tape and silicone, you can drill and countersink for screws, but that tape holds RV solar panels, and some car kids say they've attached their rear air spoilers with it and it holds at 150mph. I can't imagine any activity around a toilet that would dislodge the nosing attached with VHB tape, but again, you can put a few screws in it if it doesn't hold up to your demands.