Porcelain stoneware stairs for the concrete porch serve for finishing the indoor and outdoor premises. Durable and moisture resistant materials (Italian MARAZZI, Chinese models, etc.) meet the high performance requirements and are available in different forms. The products can be colored or monochrome.

Composition of facing materials for the stairs

Outdoor steps from porcelain stoneware for concrete stairs (MARAZZI, Chinese plates, etc.) consist of artificial stone or composite, obtained by sintering the ground clay, quartz and sand fractions, as well as natural pigments. Natural components indicate the absence of toxins and chemical compounds.
The choice of outdoor Chinese lining for the concrete stairs is usually made for home improvement. This requires compliance with the color solution of floor covering. You can see an example in the photo. If it’s absent, it is enough to choose the Chinese structure one shade darker than the overall design of interior.

Types and configurations of stair facing

Outdoor porcelain stoneware steps from MARAZZI for the concrete porch are purchased for finishing, repair or construction of the new stairs. There are 2 variants of the product:

  1. Seam tile.
  2. Monolithic blocks.

The first option is made in the form of corner, base or front plates for the concrete base, specified in the photo.

Seam or monolithic porcelain stoneware steps for the porch from MARAZZI include:

  • Baseboard and riser – vertically located tile.
  • Tread –transversely located tile.
  • Corner – ledge for the porch.

Prefabricated buildings are usually created from the individual details of different shades. Compound sets have figured edge in the form of individual element. For convenience, you can look at the models in the photos of different catalogs.

Solid steps from porcelain stoneware MARAZZI are produced on order or chosen according to the specified parameters at the hardware store. They look more effective and neat due to the absence of joints and grooves.

Front blocks for the porch are available in different forms:

  • Round.
  • Straight.
  • Relief.

To increase the level of security, MARAZZI provides the steps for the staircase from rough porcelain stoneware with the latest version of rolling of the product edge.

Parameters of porcelain stoneware coating for the steps

Standard indicator of Chinese or domestic production varies within 1200х300 mm, while its width is 0.7 — 3 cm. It is important to determine the purpose of the device for the porch:

  • Minimal size of step for a small porcelain stoneware staircase MARAZZI (up to 1.3 cm) is used for covering the structures inside the construction projects.
  • Average products from China (1.4-1.6 cm) – for mounting on the areas with high passability.
  • Maximum limit of Chinese steps (from 1.7 cm) — in the areas with increased requirement for durability, wear resistance and safety. You can safely buy the coating for entertainment complexes, business centers, clinics and other public institutions.

The manufacture of wear-resistant steps from porcelain stoneware have a size of 1200х300. Their maximal height is 15 cm. To avoid the risk of injury, you should use the Chinese threshold for the porch from 10 cm. The width is 25 cm.

External execution and benefits of artificial stone for coating the stairs

The use of mineral pigments allows you to build the steps for the porcelain stoneware staircase in combination with basaltic, granite, marble and other textures of natural wood species. Color solutions have a wide range of matt shades and diverse glossy mosaic.

When finishing the structure, you should remember the generally accepted rule: the height and width of step from relief porcelain stoneware totals 40-45 cm.

How to provide safety when finishing the stairs with stone plates?

For precise orientation, you should look at the possible options of coating:

  • Polished — smooth and slippery type of steps from mosaic porcelain stoneware. It is obtained by grinding with diamond abrasives and water.
  • Unpolished — rough. It is obtained by roasting without additional intervention.
  • Smooth — matt. It is obtained by using special technology of polishing the steps from rough porcelain stoneware.
  • Relief — anti-slip. It corresponds to the structure of natural stone.

The presence of special grooves prevents slipping. Moreover, the leading edges are created along with the tile or act as composite option. Tread made of moisture resistant porcelain stoneware can be solid and precast. It is located along the entire width of the stairs or on separate sites, forming the joints.

Steps with kapinos are used to emphasize the overall style of the building. There are two variants of structure with kapinos elements:

  • Smoothly bent ”nose”.
  • Straightly bent “kapinos”.

Kapinos for the step from external porcelain stoneware differ in the types of processing: relief, matt and polished.

Benefits of products:

  • Environmental characteristics.
  • Ease of care.
  • Steps from rough porcelain stoneware are anti-slip.
  • Resistance to mechanical damage.
  • Moisture and heat resistance.
  • Abundance of textures and shades.
  • No scratches and abrasions.

Price range of stone facing for the stairs

The price of monolithic step from foreign porcelain stoneware varies within 120 USD. The price depends on the brand, density level and decorative properties. Chinese products are cheaper than Italian materials.
Prefabricated production from China can be purchased for 30 USD. The calculation is performed in square meters.

Recommended brands:

  • Estima — Italian production that corresponds to the average price segment. Steps from the colored porcelain stoneware have a wide choice of shades: SITI, ICF, CMF, NUOVAFIMA, PEDRINI, BMR.
  • KERAMA MARAZZI. The company sells finished projects in different price categories for creating artistic panels, mosaics and use of monochrome materials: from warm sandy to playful terracotta.

What you need to know when finishing the stairs with artificial stone?

Preparatory stage consists in increasing the grip of coating with the surface. For this, you should use different primers and protective compositions. You can adjust the size of decorative elements by using the water cutting machine, which decreases the risk of chips and cracks.

It is important to consider a transition zone. Chinese options form the junction with the floor surface. This area provides for the special plate, used for the floor surfaces. The adhesive fastening the details is prepared according to the instructions, offered by the manufacturer.

Attention! It is important to avoid contact with extraneous matter or small fractions of building materials.

Stages of laying the stone casing

You will need the following equipment:

  • Measurement instrumentation.
  • Priming materials.
  • Separating crosses.
  • Comb-shaped spatula.
  • Capacity for preparing glue.
  • Electric drill for mixing the prepared composition.
  • Smoothing.

Attention! The glue must be dissolved in the amount than you can use before the fastening.

Step-by-step description of works:

  1. The stairs are assembled from the top down. You should start with cross members, and then insert the vertical panels. To ensure the strength of fixation, adhesive composition should be applied to the base by means of toothed staple. The corners of the stairs are processed with metal or plastic corner. Seams are filled with concrete solutions. Remaining material is removed after completing the installation.
  2. Finishing by means of composing structures has specific features: to create the perfect joints, you should prepare the facing on a par with the base of the steps. In forming the ledge, the parameter is adjusted.
  3. After placing the tread, you should mount the ledges and risers. Baseboards are placed at the final stage. You should navigate between the left- and right-side types of mounting. The feature of obtained result lies is excluding deformations and long-term preservation of the color of decorative laying. In case of internal placement, you should remember about the cold properties of expensive material. Wet surface is very slippery.

When choosing the artificial stone, you should understand that it will look good both indoors and outdoors. The main thing is to make a right choice regarding the color and purpose and carefully plan the design of the staircase in the private house.

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