garden steps: what size nosings?

[Stephen]

Hello,

Time and weather permitting, I have built my garden steps. I laid a
slab of concrete (thanks to the advice to an earlier question) and I
have use bricks to make the "frame" of the steps. I just need to lay
some paving slabs to make the treads.

I was hoping to use 400mm x 400mm paving slabs and have two side by
side, to make a step that is 400 mm x 800 mm. However, these overhang
the bricks by up to 65mm.

Web sites give me different answers: some say the nosing (overhang)
should only be one centimetre; others say it should be one or two
inches. Having a 65mm nosing would save me having to cut it but some
web sites suggest a big nosing is a trip hazard.

Other web sites suggest a big nosing would be a fulcrum causing the
slab to lift off the stairs.

What do you think the optimum size should be?

Thanks,
Stephen.

[Capitol]

IMO overhang should be the thickness of the slab.

[Bill Wright]

On 03/11/2015 13:09, Stephen wrote:

> What do you think the optimum size should be?
>

40 to 50mm

Bill

[Phil L]

"Stephen" <re...@to.newsgroup.invalid> wrote in message
news:9bbh3bdo1nmoc1vs5...@4ax.com...

The overhang serves no other purpose than to allow water to drip away from
the bricks underneath rather than run down the face. Whether this serves any
purpose whatsoever is open to debate as water landing on the lower step will
surely splash onto this brick face and cause it to get just as wet anyway.
The overhang will cause a fulcrum, especially with 400 X 400 mm slabs as
these are only usually 38mm thick and are not heavy enough to remain flat
when someone steps on the edge.
My advice is to do away with the overhang altogether and have the edge of
the slab level with the face of the brick, other than that, use 50mm slabs
and overhang maximum of 1cm.

If you don't have the means or inclination to cut the slabs, cut a slot out
of the brickwork they will be abutting with a hammer and bolster chisel, and
slide the slabs into this - half an inch is enough, you can have any
overhang you want if you do it like this as the opposing edge will be
cemented into the brickwork and cannot rise upwards when someone stands on
the overhang

[mark]

"Stephen" <re...@to.newsgroup.invalid> wrote in message
news:9bbh3bdo1nmoc1vs5...@4ax.com...

Enough to stop the water running down the riser brickwork.
Not too much that it'll snap off when you run up it.
Not too much that you'll trip.

mark

[newshound]

I'd go with keeping it short too; I have some steps which were laid 25
years ago with 38 mm slabs and similiar nosing, and some of the top row
have moved from the fulcrum effect. (Lower ones are trapped by the
riser). I'm about to "cap" a concrete path with a couple of concrete
steps using 25 mm Indian sandstone and I was planning to have about 10mm
(will see how it looks first).