ᐅ Staircase as an Exposed Concrete Staircase – Advantages and Disadvantages
Created on: 22 Feb 2016 19:39
S
schiff
Good evening,
my question concerns our staircase connecting the ground floor with the upper floor. We will be installing tiles in both the hallway downstairs and upstairs. The staircase itself has 15 steps and is 1 meter wide (3 feet 3 inches). It goes straight up.
Our architect originally planned the staircase as a conventional cast-in-place concrete staircase with a finish (natural stone, tile, or wood). However, we are not fully satisfied with these options.
The architect mentioned the following disadvantages: a necessary precast concrete element of exposed concrete quality is more expensive, and protecting and working on it is complicated. Protecting the staircase from damage and dirt is difficult since any scratches or stains, for example from formwork oil or rust, will remain visible. Furthermore, trades like plasterers and screeders must treat the staircase as a finished surface. Overall, the costs are expected to be higher, but the architect could not provide an exact figure.
What do you think? Do the drawbacks mentioned by the architect outweigh the benefits? Is it possible to roughly estimate how much more expensive this would be compared to the alternatives mentioned?
My view would be that the staircase is built during the shell construction phase, then a protective fleece is applied during the build process, and at completion, the staircase is impregnated and sealed. Or naturally, it could be impregnated and sealed first and then covered with protective fleece.
Best regards,
schiff
my question concerns our staircase connecting the ground floor with the upper floor. We will be installing tiles in both the hallway downstairs and upstairs. The staircase itself has 15 steps and is 1 meter wide (3 feet 3 inches). It goes straight up.
Our architect originally planned the staircase as a conventional cast-in-place concrete staircase with a finish (natural stone, tile, or wood). However, we are not fully satisfied with these options.
The architect mentioned the following disadvantages: a necessary precast concrete element of exposed concrete quality is more expensive, and protecting and working on it is complicated. Protecting the staircase from damage and dirt is difficult since any scratches or stains, for example from formwork oil or rust, will remain visible. Furthermore, trades like plasterers and screeders must treat the staircase as a finished surface. Overall, the costs are expected to be higher, but the architect could not provide an exact figure.
What do you think? Do the drawbacks mentioned by the architect outweigh the benefits? Is it possible to roughly estimate how much more expensive this would be compared to the alternatives mentioned?
My view would be that the staircase is built during the shell construction phase, then a protective fleece is applied during the build process, and at completion, the staircase is impregnated and sealed. Or naturally, it could be impregnated and sealed first and then covered with protective fleece.
Best regards,
schiff
Our concrete staircase looked very smooth and nice right after pouring... but with every tradesperson, it ended up with one more dent.
I would only recommend this approach if you have a clear design concept – otherwise, it might not look quite right or could come across as cold, etc.
I would only recommend this approach if you have a clear design concept – otherwise, it might not look quite right or could come across as cold, etc.
Definitely do it if you are already considering it!
I would question whether it really needs to be exposed concrete quality. We would have left our precast concrete staircase as it was if it hadn’t been dimensionally unsuitable due to the planned wooden steps (4cm (1.5 inches) too shallow). The contractor should be informed that the staircase will not receive any additional covering, so they will treat the edges and corners of the steps accordingly (this should be agreed with them in advance).
Protecting the staircase adequately from dirt during construction is not easy. I would almost say that a fleece covering won’t last long, and if it’s not securely fixed, it becomes a safety hazard. Honestly: let the stairs get dirty and only protect them from paint. Even plaster doesn’t cause much damage at first. When you are close to installing the floor finishes, just sand off the dirt, and that’s that. We did the same with a concrete wall that looked quite worn. In addition, we primed the wall and painted it five times with a very thin layer of gray concrete paint. It looks like normal concrete, just a bit cleaner. Painting also has the advantage of sealing the surface, but you probably plan to do that anyway.
I would question whether it really needs to be exposed concrete quality. We would have left our precast concrete staircase as it was if it hadn’t been dimensionally unsuitable due to the planned wooden steps (4cm (1.5 inches) too shallow). The contractor should be informed that the staircase will not receive any additional covering, so they will treat the edges and corners of the steps accordingly (this should be agreed with them in advance).
Protecting the staircase adequately from dirt during construction is not easy. I would almost say that a fleece covering won’t last long, and if it’s not securely fixed, it becomes a safety hazard. Honestly: let the stairs get dirty and only protect them from paint. Even plaster doesn’t cause much damage at first. When you are close to installing the floor finishes, just sand off the dirt, and that’s that. We did the same with a concrete wall that looked quite worn. In addition, we primed the wall and painted it five times with a very thin layer of gray concrete paint. It looks like normal concrete, just a bit cleaner. Painting also has the advantage of sealing the surface, but you probably plan to do that anyway.
S
Sebastian7924 Feb 2016 07:18I assume he means the additional costs of exposed concrete compared to covering it with tiles or wood?
Similar topics