The bullnose—the go-to step profile for so many garden designs. But bullnosed porcelain paving is widely available only with a 20mm edge. This can look a bit insubstantial. Luckily you don't need to compromise on detail, with our exclusive 36mm porcelain bullnose steps.

3 Florence White porcelain bullnose steps, with decoratively cut slabs with mitred corners between planted beds
Precise cutting gives these bullnose porcelain steps a subtle decorative effect in this design by Barnes Walker.

What was missing when porcelain paving arrived on the market? It was an equivalent of 40mm bullnose steps—an industry standard in natural stone.

The standard thickness for porcelain outdoor tiles is 20mm. Bullnosed, these offer a slim, elegant profile, but sometimes a design calls for something more substantial and our customers asked what we could do.

Porcelain 36mm bullnose step treads

Developing a new bullnose

Here at London Stone we love a challenge, and this certainly gave us one. A conversation with our supplier quickly made it clear that having them manufactured at the porcelain factory wasn’t a viable option.

This put the ball firmly in our court. A couple of months of intensive R&D (or trial and error, as we call it), and we had a 40mm bullnose edge profile available for every one of our porcelain products.

Our solution was to join two 20mm porcelain slabs together. Not rocket science, you might think, but the secret to creating a top-quality product is in the epoxy resin which is colour-matched to the nth degree. This creates a robust edge with an invisible join that would stand up to the scrutiny of the fiercest show-garden judge.

Refining the porcelain bullnose

Render of single Polished Concrete porcelain bullnose step
The construction of our 36mm porcelain bullnose steps, here in Polished Concrete.

Of course, creating a double thickness step meant that we had to add quite a premium. Since then, we have refined the process. Now, the tile remains 20mm thick—cheaper to transport, easier to move around, less expensive overall—while the 36mm bullnose nosing gives the impression of a much thicker tile.

Our bullnose porcelain steps still have to carry a premium. Bullnosing porcelain is an arduous, labour-intensive process that, not only requires the gluing and colour-matching, but two surprisingly slow runs through the edge profile machine, as opposed to the speedier single pass that’s normal for natural stone.

Wide range of porcelain steps

Close-up of front edge of Faro porcelain bullnose step, with small light inserted on top.
A Faro bullnose porcelain step has a light fitted in a flight by Taryn Ferris, built by Nordland Landscapes

Our 36mm porcelain bullnose steps, unique on the market, mean you don’t have compromise on your choice of edge profile. But it's just part of a wide choice of different edge profiles for steps and coping.  

Steps offer so many options in size, shape and are available in lengths varying from 600mm to 1200mm. Find more ideas for garden steps or contact us for advice and information.

Post updated: August 2024