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
I think you need to ask the person offering it to you... And finding someone who can cast a real exposed concrete staircase will definitely not be easy.
That’s why my advice is to ask your architect where they would buy a "standard" prefabricated staircase, go there, and check the quality for yourself. Casting a straight staircase with an attractive surface finish is, in my opinion, not rocket science for a professional. Ours certainly looked great.
That’s why my advice is to ask your architect where they would buy a "standard" prefabricated staircase, go there, and check the quality for yourself. Casting a straight staircase with an attractive surface finish is, in my opinion, not rocket science for a professional. Ours certainly looked great.