Porcelain Step & Riser Tiles — 30x120 Tread, 20x120 Riser
A staircase is the hardest-worn detail in any building and the most expensive to get wrong. We supply treads and risers as matched sets in full body porcelain — already the right depth, already nosed, already shade-matched — so a flight goes down without site cutting and without a colour break between steps.
- Treads and risers shipped as shade-matched pairs
- Full body porcelain — a chipped nosing does not show
- Bullnose or grooved anti-slip nosing, R11 rated
Sizes and specification
Tread (Step)
- 300x1200 mm (30x120 cm)
- Roughly 12x48 inch
- 10 mm or 12 mm thick
- Bullnose or grooved nosing
Riser
- 200x1200 mm (20x120 cm)
- Roughly 8x48 inch
- 10 mm thick
- Matched to the tread shade
Finishes
- Matt
- Anti-skid textured
- Marble effect
- Wood effect
- Solid colour full body
Performance
- R11 slip rating on grooved nosing
- Water absorption < 0.5%
- Frost resistant for external stairs
- Rectified edges
Why a matched set beats cutting field tiles
The usual alternative is to buy ordinary floor tiles and cut them down for the stairs. It works, but it costs more than it appears to. Every tread needs two cuts, the cut edge has to be ground and often mitred, waste runs high because the offcut from a 600x600 tile rarely makes a second tread, and a cut edge on a glazed tile exposes the pale body — which then shows as a light line along the front of every step.
A purpose-made set removes all of that. The tread arrives at 300 mm deep, which suits the going of a normal domestic or commercial stair, and 1200 mm wide, which covers most flights in one piece or two. The nosing is formed during production, so the front edge is already rounded or grooved and already the same colour as the rest of the tile.
Because the treads and risers are produced together they are also shade-matched. Buying them separately, or topping up a short order months later, is the most common way a staircase ends up with a visible colour step halfway down — porcelain shade varies between firing batches, and on a stair that variation is at eye level.
The nosing choice is a safety decision rather than a style one. A bullnose — a smooth rounded front edge — is right for interior stairs in dry areas. A grooved nosing, with fine channels running along the front of the tread, is what gives the R11 rating and is what should be specified for external steps, for wet areas, and for any staircase in a public or commercial building.
Full step & riser installation guide · Staircase tile applications
Specification checklist
- Measure the going and the rise — the going is the horizontal depth of each step and should match the 300 mm tread; the rise is the vertical face and should be at or under the 200 mm riser height.
- Count the flight, then add 10 per cent — breakage during cutting and handling is normal, and a later top-up order will not shade-match.
- Choose the nosing by location — grooved anti-slip outdoors and in any public building, bullnose for interior domestic flights.
- Check the landing — landings are usually finished in a matching field tile from the same range so the whole stairwell reads as one material.
- Specify full body for public stairs — nosings take more impact than any other surface in a building and full body hides the damage.
- Order treads and risers together — they are produced and shade-matched as a set.
Size reference
| Component | Metric | Imperial | Typical thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step / tread | 300 x 1200 mm | 12 x 48 in | 10-12 mm |
| Riser | 200 x 1200 mm | 8 x 48 in | 10 mm |
| Step (wide) | 330 x 1200 mm | 13 x 48 in | 12 mm |
| Landing field tile | 600 x 1200 mm | 24 x 48 in | 9-10 mm |
| Skirting | 100 x 1200 mm | 4 x 48 in | 9-10 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What sizes do step and riser tiles come in?
The standard export set is a 30x120 cm (300x1200 mm) tread with a matching 20x120 cm (200x1200 mm) riser — roughly 12x48 and 8x48 inches. Thickness is typically 10 mm or 12 mm. A 330 mm deep tread is also produced for stairs with a deeper going.
What is the difference between full body and glazed step tiles?
Full body porcelain carries the same colour and material through the whole thickness, so a chip on a stair nosing is barely visible. Glazed tiles carry the design only on a thin surface layer, and a chip exposes the pale body underneath as a bright mark right at eye level. That is why full body is preferred for treads.
Are the step tiles anti-slip?
The grooved-nosing version is produced to an R11 slip rating, which is the usual specification for staircases in commercial buildings and for external steps. Bullnose versions are smooth and intended for interior dry staircases.
How many steps does one container hold?
A 20-foot container holds roughly 900 to 1,100 pieces of 300x1200 mm tread depending on thickness and packing, which covers a great many flights. Treads and risers are normally loaded in matched proportion; tell us the number of flights and we will work out the split.
Can you supply treads and risers in a marble or wood look?
Yes. Marble-effect and wood-effect step sets are produced alongside the solid full body colours, and can be matched to a field tile from the same design so the stair and the landing read as one floor.
Do you export step and riser tiles to West Africa?
Yes — it is one of our largest lines into Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Benin and Togo, shipped by the container from Mundra. French-language specification sheets are available for the francophone markets.
Request step & riser tile pricing
Send us the number of flights, the going and rise of the stair, and the finish you want. We will quote a matched set and a container plan.
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- Step & Riser Tiles Guide
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- Porcelain vs Ceramic Tiles
- What Are Vitrified Tiles
- Types of Tiles
- Tile Thickness Guide
- Glossy vs Matte Tiles
- How to Clean Tile Floors
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- How to Fix Cracked Tiles
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