Stairs are an essential part of any multi-storey building. They serve to move between levels, but they also have an important decorative function. They should harmonise with the aesthetics of the entire building. Moreover, they can give the interior additional prestige and modernity - it is worth betting on good quality finishing materials (wooden stairs, stone stairs, stairs made of microcement) and an appropriate construction.
Find out what types of concrete stairs there are and choose the best construction for your home.
Why is microcement the ideal material for interior stairs?
DURABILITY
Microcement is characterised by its abrasion resistance, making it an ideal material for stairs. Microcement stairs retain their aesthetics for many years and are the ideal solution for customers looking for durable interior solutions.
CUSTOMISABLE
Microcement comes in a variety of colours and offers the possibility of different finishing effects, giving you a wide range of possibilities to tailor the microcement to your individual preferences and the character of your interior.
ASY TO MAINTAIN
Microcement is very easy to care for and clean. Thanks to its smooth surface (microcement is jointless), dust and dirt do not settle in the joints, making it easy to keep your stairs clean on a daily basis. See dedicated Festfloor microcement care products, HERE.
AESTHETICS
Microcement stairs look minimalist thanks to their uniform surface, which blends well with a variety of interior styles.
Below are photos of microcement stairs projects:
(Dark stairs made of Festfloor Life microcement, color S6 Anthracite | Contractor: Twoja Ściana)
(White stairs made of Festfloor Go! microcement, color FF9003 Signal White | Contractor: Twoja Ściana)
How to apply microcement to your staircase in 8 STEPS
1. assess the quality of the substrate before applying the microcement
2. protect the surface around the work
3. sanding the staircase in its bare state
4. priming the surface of the staircase
5. levelling the steps
6. priming of levelled steps
7. application of microcement on stairs
8. sealing the microcement on the stairs
For a contractor, stairs are a much bigger challenge than walls or floors. They require a lot of preparation, careful protection of the surface around them and great precision in execution. The challenge is well worth it, because the end result is impressive. Below we describe how to make microcement on stairs step by step.
Step by step
1. ASSESS THE QUALITY OF THE SUBSTRATE
The correct assessment of the quality of the substrate is extremely important and determines the success of the entire project. The substrate for microcement should be load-bearing, with no loose parts, the screed should not be too fresh (wait a minimum of 28 days). Ideally, the stairs should be made of precast concrete. Then we have practically nothing to worry about, as they are almost perfectly straight and smooth. Worse if they have been sloppily poured or are covered with dried mortar that has fallen off when plastering, or if they are old and crumbling. In the following paragraphs, we describe how to prepare the substrate for microcement. However, it is worth saying at the outset that when the substrate is of questionable quality or you do not feel able to move it out properly, it is better to say no to the client than to risk cracks or other surprises. Microcement is a very versatile product, but sometimes it is better to explain to the client that another material (e.g. decking) would be a better solution in the given conditions.
2. SURFACE PROTECTION AROUND
When carrying out finishing work, especially on stairs, protecting the remaining surface from accidental damage is crucial. One of the basic steps you should take is to protect the walls near the steps with strong painter's tape. Be sure to choose a heavy-duty tape that adheres well to the surface and does not leave marks. This will protect the walls from possible dirt or mechanical damage.
The second step is to adequately protect the floor at the bottom of the stairs. For this purpose, the use of paper, thick painter's foil or painter's felt is recommended. Choosing the right protective materials can significantly reduce the risk of damage and make the renovation process easier.
3. STAIRCASE SANDING
Unfinished/developer condition stairs, which have no finish, require special attention and preparation before further microcement application work. Stairs in development condition may have various types of unevenness or even residues from concrete or other building materials. Grinding allows these imperfections to be removed, which is a key step in preparing the substrate for further work. What do you grind concrete with? The unfinished staircase should be grinded with an angle grinder with a concrete grinding wheel. This type of tool effectively and quickly removes irregularities and unnecessary layers of material from the surface of the staircase.
Then, once the grinding of the concrete stairs is complete, it is important to vacuum the surface thoroughly to remove dust and any loose parts. We recommend using industrial hoovers, which are more effective at removing large amounts of dust and dirt.
4. PRIMING (FIRST)
The next step in finishing the stairs is to level them. Before this can be done, however, the stairs need to be primed to even out the absorbency of the substrate and improve the adhesion of subsequent layers. Levelling a stair involves bonding a cement board to the treads and then pouring a self-levelling screed over the treads. By priming the stairs before levelling, we improve the adhesion of this screed to the stair treads.
To prime the stair surface before levelling, use our acrylic primer, FESTGRUNT, which will improve the absorbency of the substrate and improve the spread of the self-levelling mortar.
5. LEVELLING STEPS
Depending on the quality of the substrate, the steps must be levelled to achieve perfect right angles and the same step height. How do you level concrete steps? For this purpose, the technique of reprofiling the steps with cement boards (e.g. Cementex) works well.
First cut the boards to the right length and prime them.
Then glue them (e.g. with tile adhesive) to the treads and, if necessary, make a formwork of gypsum boards and seal the joints with foam.
Then pour a suitable amount of self-levelling screed onto the treads.
Once this has set, any irregularities should be sanded down and the next step can be taken.
6. PRIMING (SECOND)
Before proceeding to the application of the microcement, the levelled steps must be primed. For this step, we also recommend using our surface primer, FESTGRUNT, which seals the substrate, prevents water extraction from the mortar, increases the adhesion of the mortar to the substrate, improves the spreading of self-levelling mortars and is vapour-permeable. If you lay microcement without priming, it can become loose or poorly bonded and soft.
The surface should be cured, dry and clean.
Apply the primer with a roller or brush.
Allow to dry for 2 to 4 hours. After this time you can proceed with further work.
7. MICRO-CEMENT APPLICATION
Use our staircase-dedicated microcement KIT FESTFLOOR GO! Spread the mixture using trowels and other metal tools to a thickness of no more than 1 mm. Apply in quick, vigorous movements in different directions depending on the desired effect, always using the wet-on-wet method. After about four hours, when the material has completely set and is dry, the stairs should be sanded using an eccentric or orbital sander with 60-80 grit sandpaper. After sanding the stairs, the entire surface should be thoroughly vacuumed. The second coat is then applied in the same way as the first.
You can find out what the entire microcement application process looks like:
- from the technical sheets of our microcement systems,
- in our training course ‘MICROCEMENT STAIRS’. Sign up to ‘Notify availability’ to be notified of the training date,
and
- from our YouTube channel, where we present the whole process step by step, ?” (don’t forget turn on subtitles in your language)
8. SEALING
Before applying the sealer, it is a good idea to apply FESTPRIMER, which improves the adhesion of the varnish to the substrate and increases resistance to dirt. Finally, we cover the staircase with two coats of sealer. The staircase is exposed to abrasion, so the sealer must be very resistant. In this case, a two-component polyurethane varnish for microcement and concrete, PU FEST 2K or PU FEST TURBO sealer with very high surface hardness will work best . It is also important to use a good quality roller. Cheap rollers leave lint on the varnish, which can ruin the end result. Before using a roller, we recommend wrapping it with painter's tape to remove loose lint. Sealing requires wearing a protective paint suit with a hood and shoe protectors. This way, no pollen from clothes, sand from shoes or hair will fall on the freshly painted stairs.
STAIRCASE RENOVATION - microcement on tiles without stripping
What do you have to cover an old staircase with? Many of our customers wonder how to renovate their old tiled staircase and whether it is possible without tiling. The answer to these questions is microcement. However, before you apply decorative concrete to your staircase, you need to prepare properly. The right treatments before applying the microcement will ensure that it adheres well to the substrate and that the joints do not puncture.
Steps for renovating a tiled staircase:
1. Before applying microcement to the tiles, roughen them with a sander.
2. fill the joints with tile adhesive or other mortar.
3. then lay a bonding bridge with glass fibre mesh or a base with mesh.
4. application of microcement: primer, first layer of microcement, sanding, vacuuming, second layer of microcement, sanding, vacuuming, primer for sealer, sealer (2 layers) with the additive 3K PLUS - increasing abrasion resistance.
You can read more about microcement on tiles: HERE.
FAQ
What can be applied to internal stairs instead of tiles?
Microcement is the ideal solution for renovating stairs, especially if they already have a ceramic tile covering. You can apply microcement over tiles without scraping them off, which slowly saves you time and money, as well as eliminating a lot of disorder during the renovation.
What to finish concrete stairs with?
Concrete stairs can be finished in a number of different ways, depending on your aesthetic preferences, budget and requirements for durability and ease of maintenance. Microcement is suitable for finishing concrete stairs because it is durable, application-friendly, abrasion-resistant, available in many colours and easy to maintain.
Can microcement be used to finish the treads themselves?
Yes, of course, you can finish the treads with microcement. The microcement finish of the treads can be matched with the finish of the treads (e.g. wood) or other elements of the staircase, thus achieving a coherent and harmonious appearance of the whole construction.
With what to level concrete stairs? / What to level an internal concrete staircase with?
To correct unevenness on stairs, we recommend using cement boards on the treads and self-levelling screed on the treads.