An anti-slip terracotta clay stair tile must be coordinated with the complete flight. Tread depth, riser height, nosing profile, visual cues, support, joints, landings, lighting and cleaning all affect safe use. The archived tile name can begin a review, but current drawings and project-specific evidence must govern approval.
Confirm the profile before laying out the flight
Request a current product code and dimensioned plan and section. The drawing should identify tread leg, riser return, overall length, actual thickness, nose radius or edge, surface, rear profile, tolerances and unit mass. Ask whether LM636 still applies and whether the archive dimensions remain available or have been superseded.
Do not interpret the “100 + 52” notation without the drawing. Record which dimension faces upward, which returns vertically and how the piece meets field tiles. If the tile is for a repair, measure installed profiles and substrate conditions, then compare them with the current sample before assuming interchangeability.
Coordinate tread, riser and nosing geometry
Flight
Set consistent finished riser heights, tread depths and alignment through the stair designer’s drawings.
Nosing
Resolve projection, radius, support, joints and the relationship to any required visual strip.
Landings
Coordinate modules, thresholds, drainage, movement joints and transitions to adjacent finishes.
Edges
Detail strings, walls, balustrade fixings, corners and cut pieces without fragile slivers.
Use actual approved dimensions to set out the entire flight. Small accumulated differences can change the last riser or force inconsistent joints. The responsible architect and stair specialist should confirm geometry, accessibility and local compliance before tile release.
Prepare a stair finish schedule for every flight and landing. Record structural opening, substrate allowance, setting-bed allowance, finished tread and riser dimensions, profile code, field-tile module and joint positions. Where construction has begun, survey critical levels before manufacturing special pieces. This gives the tile supplier a defined interface and gives the installer a checked basis for setting-out.
Define slip and visual evidence for the stair
Describe whether the stair is interior or exterior, covered or exposed, dry or wet, and subject to tracked water, spills or frequent cleaning. Identify users, footwear, direction of travel and lighting. The design team should state the relevant slip test method, condition and acceptance route for the exact surface.
Request a current report that identifies the product code, finish, specimen and result. “Anti-slip” alone is incomplete. Coordinate any visual-contrast or tactile requirement with the nosing profile and project rules; do not assume the fired colour will provide an adequate cue under every light or contamination condition.
Design support, joints and water management
The substrate and installation system must support the shaped profile, particularly at the nose and return. Define preparation, bedding or adhesive, joint materials, movement accommodation, landing transitions and curing where relevant. Coordinate the tile and setting products through their current instructions and the project design.
For exposed stairs, draw the water path at treads, risers, nosings, landings and walls. Avoid trapping water beneath a projection or directing it across a threshold. Confirm falls, outlets, waterproofing where required and edge details. The tile name does not establish a complete weather-resistant stair assembly.
Approve a full-size stair mock-up
Build at least a representative tread, riser, nosing and landing junction using the proposed materials and joints. Review dimensions, alignment, shade range, lippage, support at the nose and cut quality. Examine the mock-up from ascent and descent directions and under the intended lighting.
Trial the approved cleaning process and any proposed treatment on the mock-up. If wet-condition review is required, conduct it through the project’s defined process with responsible specialists. Keep labelled control samples and written acceptance notes; a photograph alone cannot record geometry or surface feel.
Include handrail or balustrade junctions, wall returns and the proposed edge cue where possible. Review shadows and reflections created by tread lighting because they can change how the nosing reads during ascent and descent. Record the fixtures and viewing conditions used for approval so a later lighting substitution triggers a coordinated review rather than an isolated electrical change.
Inspect installation and protect the finished flight
Set hold points for substrate acceptance, setting-out, first completed steps, joints, nosing support, landings and final cleaning. Check finished geometry as work proceeds rather than only at handover. Isolate cracked or mismatched pieces and record any approved substitution or repair.
Protect stairs from premature traffic and construction debris. At handover, document cleaning products, drainage maintenance and inspection of joints and nosings. The terracotta floor tile range can support early selection, while the project gallery can help frame application discussions.
Release a traceable stair-tile package
Align code, profile drawing, approved samples, stair setting-out, evidence, installation system, quantities, specials, spares, packing and programme. Confirm carton and pallet details, delivery sequence, lifting and protected storage. Compare quotations on complete scope, including profiles, field tiles, mock-ups, tests and exclusions.
Handover should retain final flight drawings, installed batches, inspection records, approved cleaning method and labelled spares. A future repair needs the exact profile and fired range, so store the samples and documents together rather than relying on the old online description.