Application
A stair tread is an edge test.
Every tread has an exposed nosing that takes the load of a foot and the impact of everything dropped on it. It is the one place a cut stone edge will fail first.
Travertine look stair treads are specified at 25 to 30 mm with a formed bullnose or square nosing cast into the piece rather than cut, so the edge is not a weakened arris. Risers are usually 20 mm, and joints between tread and riser are set to a shadow line.
Why the nosing is cast
A cut nosing exposes the aggregate at the arris and leaves a sharp edge that chips. A cast nosing is moulded with a radius or a bullnose, so the edge has the same density as the body and no cut line to fail along.
The dimensions that matter
| Element | Typical | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tread thickness | 25–30 mm | 30 mm where the tread is cantilevered |
| Going | Per stair design | Usually one panel cut per step |
| Nosing projection | 20–30 mm | Cast with the tread |
| Riser | 20 mm | Set behind the tread nosing |
| Joint | Shadow gap | Avoid a flush butt at the nosing |
Slip on stairs
A honed or fluted tread gives grip; a polished tread does not. On a public stair, the nosing is often the place for an insert or a groove, and that detail should be formed or machined before the panel leaves the plant rather than cut on site.
Questions buyers ask
- What thickness should stair treads be?
- 25 mm for a supported tread, 30 mm if any part is cantilevered or the stair is in a public building with heavy traffic.
- Can the nosing be cut on site?
- It can, but a site-cut arris is the weakest point of the tread. Cast nosings arrive with the radius formed and the edge at full density.
- Is travertine suitable for public stairs?
- Yes, with a honed or fluted finish and a nosing detail for grip. Polished surfaces are not appropriate on a public stair.
Send the drawing. We will return a joint layout.
Panel layout, area, substrate and required delivery date are enough to start. Quotation within 24 hours.