The reinforced concrete
structure may have external stairs as well as those located in houses and
apartments. The place of their
location determines the type and properties of the cladding mounted on the
stairs. We advise what material
to finish external and internal stairs
Regardless of the
location of the stairs, the material to be finished must be above all resistant
to abrasion and non-slip.
Exterior stairs finish
The reinforced concrete
stairs leading to the house door are exposed to a lot of dirt - we bring sand,
mud and water onto it.The lining laid on them must therefore be resistant to
abrasion, scratches and easy to keep clean. The
resistance to frost is equally important.
Ceramic tiles. To finish external stairs, most often
choose gres or clinker. Designed
for laying on external stairs, they must have an absorbability below 3%, which
provides them with frost resistance. They
should also have an IV or V abrasion class, so they will not be exposed to
abrasion. It is also worth paying
attention to their hardness - the right one will ensure that the cladding will
not be easy to scratch. It is
measured on a 10-point Mosha scale and should be 7-8. The anti-slip of the stairway
material, which is marked with the symbol R 9-R13, is equally important - the
greater the numerical value, the greater the slip resistance.Anti-slip
properties have all tiles designed for laying on stair treads, they are
riffled, ie their surface at the edge is finished with convex and concave
slip-protecting straps. Tiles for
laying on the stairs consist of several types of tiles: footing, riser, plinth
and corner. The tread blocks have
protruding noses so that the water does not run on the risers. The use of the set makes laying much
easier and gives a good aesthetic effect.
Stone. On the external stairs, it is worth
using fine-grained stones, eg granite, basalt, slate, good sandstone and
limestone. They have very low
absorbability, are also very hard, and therefore resistant to abrasion and
scratches. The surface of the
stone should be rough and therefore non-slip, which is why stone with a flamed,
grained or raw surface is most often used. Anti-slip
properties are also increased by the use of non-slip stair strips made of
plastic with the texture of sandpaper, or made of quartz sand or aluminum
non-slip overlays. As a finish of
external stairs, 2-4 cm thick stone slabs or stone tiles, eg 30x30
cm, are used.
Wood. External stairs are rarely used. Most often it is pine, spruce, larch
or oak. We also use more and more
available exotic wood, eg teak, massarandub or bangkirai. The wood must be carefully processed
and impregnated - especially domestic species.
Finishing the internal
stairs
This is what counts
first of all, matching the cladding of the stairs to the interior design and
mixing it with the floor and other finishing elements. Finishing materials used for interior
stairs do not have to have such high technical parameters as those used
outdoors. Always remember,
however, that they are not slippery.
Ceramic tiles. As a finish for internal stairs, all
types of floor tiles can be used. They
should have an equally high abrasion class as those used outdoors, their
hardness may be slightly lower (5-6
in the Mosh scale). Riser
plates may have lower parameters.
Stone. Apart from the popular granite, marble
and travertine are also used on the internal stairs (it is worth impregnating
it due to the porous structure). Stairs
can also be finished with limestone, basalt or a slate that has been
fashionable for a few years.
Wood. Due to the natural warmth and
effective colors, it is the most frequently chosen material for reinforced
concrete stairs. It is best to
use non-solid elements, but laminated wood. Hard
wood species of the 1st class or marked with the letter E with straight grain,
without knots, discoloration and cracks will work well. From native species on reinforced
concrete stairs, oak, ash, maple, beech, exotic teak, ipe, merbau are used. The way of finishing the surface is
equally important - here a two-component polyurethane varnish will work, and
wooden stairs can also be oiled.
Carpeting. Internal stairs can also be finished
with carpet or elastic. The
carpet should have a short fleece and preferably a loop or loop weave - it will
be easier to keep clean. The
material from which it was made is equally important - the best will be
polypropylene or polyamide. The
elastic floor coverings are rubber-based - especially in interiors of an
industrial nature, eg in lofts. Rubber
floor coverings are abrasion resistant, non-slip (they have a characteristic
texture of the lozenge).
