Restoring the stairway of a period building is a major challenge that requires a concrete coating professional with profound technical knowledge and an eye for detail. Surfacex is proud to have taken part in its first such project, restoring the stairway of a historic hotel in the heart of downtown Montreal.
The objective was to build safe, reliable, durable stairs that would harmonize with the overall aesthetic of the property, a mandate taken to heart by Surfacex president and owner François-Xavier Larue, a concrete coating expert.
Polymer is the ideal material for outdoor stairs
Updating the staircase on a heritage property is a major undertaking. In this case, the stairs lead up to the main entrance of the hotel. The new structure thus needed to be sturdy and flawless: customer safety is of the utmost importance. According to François-Xavier Larue, the best solution for this project was a polymer-based coating, a flexible material that will accommodate the shifting of the building over time. Polymer is a heavy-duty material that is completely waterproof,and weather resistant, which makes it ideal for slowing down wear and tear on balconies and preventing cement parging from bursting. It also holds up well against calcium and salt damage in winter.
The different stages of restoration essentially involve:
- Optimizing the structure of the tiles by stripping the damaged area
- Removing any rock debris and concrete scales using the right tools
- Installing a fortification grill
- Reinforcing the structure with metal rods
- Finishing the formwork: pouring concrete polymer to accurately reproduce the correct angles and stair nosings.
Before
Stairway before restoring
For the stairway coating, the owner opted for a sand-coloured vinyl chips finish. Other coloured aggregate finishes are also available, in both multi-coloured and monotone shades.
Stairway restored with a polymer-based coating
After
The owner opted for a sand-coloured vinyl chips finish