Finished Edge Technology: Nosings that fit to a ‘T’

Rigid core flooring’s rapid rise in the U.S. has spawned a veritable gold rush among traditional hard and soft surface manufacturers looking to expand their product offerings. But the overheated SPC race has also had an unforeseen yet welcomed effect—the emergence of complementary accessory products such as stair nosing derived from the same materials as the rigid core planks.

One company in particular, Finished Edge Technology, is looking to take the lead on this developing trend. While the Chandler, Ariz.-based supplier doesn’t claim to be the first to tackle this specialty segment of the flooring accessories market, it certainly makes a strong case that its novel approach to manufacturing stair nosings is unlike any other.

“There are companies that have tried to do what we do—and they can do it with certain products but not with others,” Charlie Iannacone, Finished Edge Technology founder, told FCNews. “We’re the only company out there that’s able to do it with not only all the vinyl products but with laminate and engineered wood as well. There’s no one out there doing it on any sort of scale that we are while providing the quality we offer.”

According to Iannacone, Finished Edge Technology’s patented processes yield both decorative and functional accessories that aim to better coordinate with the wide range of rigid core floors hitting the market. “With our square stair nosings we are able to offer a 100% match, because they’re made out of the same material,” he explained. “The clear coat, the visual, the tongue and groove system—everything is exactly how it came from the factory, so it all intertwines perfectly together.”

Heretofore, according to Iannacone—longtime floor covering-installer-turned-inventor— most round stair nosings largely entailed an overlap nosing or a flush mount nosing, or they were made in a different factory than the source material. This often created aesthetic inconsistencies, he said, especially if an accessory supplier used a different clear coat for the finish.

Another problem installers often encountered with some traditional, round stair nosings—even those made from the same SPC plank material—is a change in the design pattern created during the process of heating/bending the plank to create a curve for the nosing.

As Iannacone explained: “Sometimes when you make a round nosing, you have to stretch the film and the clear coat. With our square nose profiles we’re not heating excessively beyond the manufacturer’s specifications. We’re not doing anything to compromise the material in any way. Everything is perfect all the way through.”

Hip to be “square”

The square stair nosings manufactured by Finished Edge Technology do much more than match the SPC flooring to a “T,” according to Iannacone; they are also designed to install more effortlessly. That’s due, in part, to the product’s design, which does not require removal of the existing nosings. The company’s website features in-depth instructional videos on how to properly install the product.

“In the past, you had to either cut off the old nosings and turn that step into a box or fill in the riser; that’s the way it’s been done for 30 years,” he explained. “Either way you would’ve had to create a box, which would shorten up that step. With our design, you just wrap it around the existing tread, which keeps the tread the same depth as it was intended. It eliminates all the fabrication you typically would have to do to the existing treads to install it. Everything’s the same, essentially; it’s just a bigger, better looking stair in the end.”

Dealers who sell the company’s products share that sentiment. Take, for example, Doug Lentz, owner of Phoenix-based Legend Flooring. Prior to sourcing from Finished Edge Technology, Lentz used off-the-shelf stair nose pieces provided by another manufacturer. After growing weary of dealing with what he called poor designs and lack of consistency in color and/or finish, he decided to make a change. “Since I switched over to Finished Edge Technology, I haven’t had a single problem with either of those [issues],” he said. “Beyond that, the customers absolutely love the look, feel and ease of maintenance. It’s been a game-changer.”

Finished Edge Technology’s offerings are also gaining notoriety at a time when design trends in flooring accessories are shifting. For decades, according to Iannacone, rounded stair nosings were all the rage. But that started to change a few years ago. “If you go anywhere in Arizona or California, for example, it’s all about square, clean lines and modern looks,” he noted. “You’re starting to see that now with all the manufacturers converting to square nosings.”

Beyond hitting on style points, accessories like stair nosings also represent an additional profit center for manufacturing partners, Iannacone noted. “Our stair nosings have the potential to help manufacturers drive up their sales dramatically by having our style nosings in stock with their products. With every job that has a staircase, there’s an opportunity to sell that manufacturer’s products where maybe they wouldn’t have that opportunity if they didn’t stock the nosings.”

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