how to set a safety nosing on a tiled step

[gejohesch]

I hope my "title" is clear (english is not my first language). Here is my current project:

- just outside my wife's house in Isan, there is nice covered place which I want to arrange as an outdoors kitchen and sitting area;

- My idea is to tile the floor to give it a better look and feel than just drab cement;

- There is a slightly elevated surface which I think will be ideal to place kitchen furniture, coking stove, what have you; the step up is about 10 cm but I can arrange a bit more if necessary;

- As I want to place a safety rail, or nosing, or strip (I may confuse the terms here and there....), my problem is to decide how wide I have to make that elevated surface to accommodate the tiles without having to cut some. I already have the tiles, they are 45 x 45 cm. That depends on how exactly the horizontal and vertical tiles (tread and riser) will fit with the nosing. I see lots of options in Home Pro and Global House, the first jpeg is an example from Home Pro.

- My understanding is that the tiles will fit as I have roughly depicted on the 2nd jpeg. If that is correct, there will be a spacing of a few cms between the tile edges (tread and riser, respectively). It may sound like a lot, maybe a 2, 3 or 4 cms, but that will have to be taken into account to avoid having to cut tiles.

 

I'm sure this is a very basic question! Thanks for advice / comments! Actually, if anyone has a precise drawing to replace my amateurish attempt; that will be most welcome!

[sometimewoodworker]

Your picture has 3 problems, the top surface of the nosing creates a very dangerous tripping hazard, it should be flush with the tile, the horizontal part should also be flush with the tiles though fitting it as you suggest isn’t actually as dangerous as the top surface it too could be a tripping hazard.

 

 

the correct way to fit the nosings is like this 

Edited May 13, 2023 by sometimewoodworker

[gamb00ler]

We decided to go with a rubber nose piece hoping that it would not show scuffing as much as aluminum.  If it doesn't hold up it's cheap and easy to replace.  They have many colors available.

 

[gejohesch]

2 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Your picture has 3 problems, the top surface of the nosing creates a very dangerous tripping hazard, it should be flush with the tile, the horizontal part should also be flush with the tiles though fitting it as you suggest isn’t actually as dangerous as the top surface it too could be a tripping hazard.

 

 

the correct way to fit the nosings is like this 

My drawing is just a drawing - it's maybe a bit simplified!

 

Looking at the pic you sent, and taking note of your comments, my understanding is that you suggest to place the tiles as shown on my revised drawing here. I marked with red stars the joints between the nosing and the tiles, with some thin set showing up (as per your pic).

 

However, it seems to me that the nosing has such an obvious little place for the riser tile to fit in, and, true, the vertical part of the nosing would then protrude but that would just be by a few mm, I wonder if that would really be a trip hasard? I can understand the trip hasard with the horizontal (flat) part, the one that links to the tread.

[sometimewoodworker]

58 minutes ago, gejohesch said:

it seems to me that the nosing has such an obvious little place for the riser tile to fit in,

The area highlighted is not, IMHO, for a tile to fit, but for the mortar to key into.
 

If however you fit the tile in there the mortar key in that area is extremely thin, if indeed there is any.

 

also FWIW you have missed a part of the extrusion that keys into the mortar.

Edited May 13, 2023 by sometimewoodworker

[gejohesch]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The area highlighted is not, IMHO, for a tile to fit, but for the mortar to key into.
 

If however you fit the tile in there the mortar key in that area is extremely thin, if indeed there is any.

 

also FWIW you have missed a part of the extrusion that keys into the mortar.

Good points, makes sense. I think I have a better idea now re. the dimensions of that "slightly elevated surface" required to correctly accommodate the tiles and the nosing. It will be rather like my second drawing then. Thanks.

 

Note that 1) my drawing is obviously a bit simplified; 2) the idea of slotting the riser tile into that "highlighted area" was given to me by the attendant I asked in Global House. But granted, a) no one (nearly ever) speaks 3 words of english around where I am; b) my technical thai is a bit limited; c) many attendants don't really know a lot anyway!

[sometimewoodworker]

The actual knowledge of items and how to use them is extremely limited. It is true that there are people who are reasonably to extremely competent but they are not easy to find or to distinguish from those who confidently tell you exactly the wrong information. But like the infinite number of monkeys sometimes you get correct information but probably just by chance.

[MrJ2U]

8 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Your picture has 3 problems, the top surface of the nosing creates a very dangerous tripping hazard, it should be flush with the tile, the horizontal part should also be flush with the tiles though fitting it as you suggest isn’t actually as dangerous as the top surface it too could be a tripping hazard.

 

 

the correct way to fit the nosings is like this 

Nice work. 

[gejohesch]

8 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The actual knowledge of items and how to use them is extremely limited. It is true that there are people who are reasonably to extremely competent but they are not easy to find or to distinguish from those who confidently tell you exactly the wrong information. But like the infinite number of monkeys sometimes you get correct information but probably just by chance.

That's very much my experience, especially "those who confidently tell you exactly the wrong information". I will add "those who confidently tell you to take the largest and most expensive option, whatever your needs". And that's also true for other than DYI items.