INDUSTRIAL FLOORS

Staircase and corridor restoration and rehabilitation

A staircase is one of the most heavily trafficked parts of multistrorey buildings and as such needs to be periodically renovated. Damage to stair step surface comes from both normal traffic wear and mechanical impact from various objects dropped (for example items carried while moving in or out of residential buildings). This damage can be repaired only locally, providing a permanent but slightly dissimilar surface, or the whole structure can be recoated with a new top treading layer with a thickness of 1.3 to 2.5 mm, which adds only 1 to 2 mm after prior surface preparation by grinding. Overall renovation is advised for the superior specifications and long service life of the new surface. This technology is particularly suitable for uneven applications, such as spiral staircases, contoured mezzanines and corridors (avoiding cutting losses typical for other flooring materials).

The rehabilitation systems using resin coatings, screeds, and decorative screeds with coloured sands and chips can be applied on most types of solid stairs made from terrazzo, concrete, or prefabricated steps but also on other solid materials, such as concrete boards, MDF and OSB boards. However, the underlying material must not bend under load.

MMA and epoxy resin systems are ideal for renovation of damaged staircases (or modernisation of old staircases) and corridors in both public and industrial buildings. These systems use penetrating primer resins providing thorough bonding with the underlying surface and forming a monolithic structure with compressive strength from 45 to 65 MPa, which exceeds the strength of the underlying material. Prior to priming, the surface is prepared by grinding, which eliminates possible eroded layers or contamination. Any damaged steps are repaired using polymer concrete – a mixture of binding agents, dyed resin with thixothrophic additives, quartz sand, and aggregates – preferably of similar colours and grain as the original material.

A single or multiple layers of identical mixture without the aggregates is applied after regrinding for localised repairs and the individual steps are subsequently polished to match the original shape a surface texture.

Decorative screeds with coloured sands or chips are used for overall staircase renovation. Resin coating systems and screeds are used for industrial environments. These systems are presented separately.

The process of renovation and rehabilitation of staircases is similar to the technology described in other sections - decorative screeds with coloured sands or chips, resin coating systems and resin screeds. The difference lies in preparation exclusively by hand grinding, reprofiling with a rehabilitiation layer of resin, more complicated work processes, and addition of thixothophic agents. Renovation and rehabilitation of staircases is generally more precise and time consuming than floor repairs.