One of the most beautiful elements you can add to your home or any building is a set of polished concrete stairs. When they are professionally installed and polished, concrete stairs can transform the atmosphere of a building. Many people choose polished concrete steps for their building projects because they are functional and good-looking.
Polished concrete stairs look amazing in all types of homes. In a modern home, polished concrete brings you that industrial, minimalist look. You can tie two floors of a home together by connecting them with polished concrete steps.
Many people aren’t familiar with polished concrete steps, but they make a space unique. If you are wondering about having polished concrete stairs installed in your home, there are many benefits that you need to be aware of.
How Are Polished Concrete Steps Made?
Concrete staircases are built with a mould that concrete is poured into. When the concrete starts to harden, a concrete worker hand trowels the surfaces for the first level of smoothening.
After the concrete has hardened and the moisture has had time to escape from the concrete, the polishing process starts. First, any imperfections like bumps or trowel marks are removed. Next, a hardener is added that reacts with the surface of the concrete to make it denser.
Then, the actual polishing begins with diamond grit sandpaper, getting finer and finer until the desired finish is achieved. The last step is to add a sealer that stops liquid or stains from entering the concrete. You can choose different levels of a glossy finish, from low to very high.
Are Polished Concrete Stairs Slippery?
Despite their beautiful, glossy appearance, concrete steps are made non-slip. In fact, all mechanically polished concrete is 20-50% more slip-resistant than the standard for a slip-resistant floor. The slipperiness is measured by the dynamic coefficient of friction, and polished concrete scores from .49 to .58, with higher numbers being less slippery.
Like most hard surfaces, when polished concrete is wet or dirty, it can get slippery. Fortunately, polished concrete is one of the easiest flooring types to clean. This fact means that you will have no problem keeping your polished concrete stairs slip-resistant.
If you want to make your polished concrete floors even more slip-resistant, there are several coatings you can add. Polished concrete can also have carpet installed on top of it to add more softness under your feet. There are even anti-slip cleaners you can use for concrete that improve the grip on your stairs.
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