Best Solutions for Fixing Slippery Concrete - Foundation Armor (2024)

Adding More Slip Resistance to Exterior Concrete

If your exterior concrete is slippery when wet, there are a few different things you can do to reduce the slipperiness of the surface. How to reduce the slipperiness will depend on the type of surface, cause of slipperiness, and current condition of the surface.

• Slippery stairs caused by snow or ice – While there are many options for adding more surface traction to concrete, they won’t help if the issue is ice formation on the surface. Anything that you use to reduce slipperiness would need to either get rid of the ice, or be installed over the ice. Common solutions include heating mats, de-icing salts, and traction mats.
• Slippery concrete around a pool – Water is slippery when wet. The water sits on the surface of the concrete or coating, and when you walk or run across the surface, you can have a slip hazard. Typically, unsealed concrete isn’t slippery because porous concrete often leaves you with a rough surface. If your unsealed concrete is slippery when wet, consider talking to a product technician to see what they can offer for a solution. Exterior concrete typically only becomes slippery once it is sealed with an acrylic sealer. Acrylic sealers leave a surface film that prevents water from penetrating into the concrete. It will remain on the surface of the concrete until it evaporates. If you haven’t applied an acrylic sealer yet, but intend to, consider adding a non-slip additive into the top coat of the acrylic sealer. Foundation Armor manufactures a non-slip additive and it is available in ultra fine, fine, and coarse. If you already have an acrylic sealer down, but didn’t apply a non-slip additive into he top coat, considering applying a light third coat and add the non-slip additive into that coat. If you have thought about non-slip additives, and would prefer to remove your acrylic sealer, simply use a coating remover like the Armor CR100. Once your acrylic sealer is removed, you can then apply a water repellent sealer, like the Armor SX5000 or Armor SX5000 WB to protect your unsealed concrete from damage and deterioration caused by water absorption.

Adding More Slip Resistance to Interior Concrete

Interior concrete can become slippery when wet if it is polished or coated. Both polished and coated concrete reduce the absorption of water on the surface, and the water will typically remain on the surface until it is cleaned up. Foundation Armor manufactures two types of non-slip additive for interior coatings, one is for residential applications (Armor Non-Slip) and one for industrial coating applications (DuraTrac). If you already have a coating down, and weren’t able to apply a non-slip additive, there are a few things you can do:

• Add another coat – If you are able to add another coat and add the non-slip additive to the coating, this is a great way to add surface traction. This isn’t always an easy task however depending on the type of coating down. If your concrete is polished, this also isn’t an option.
• Lay out traction mats – This is a common option, especially if it is in an entrance area. Add mats and rugs to help reduce water on the concrete surface.
• Non-skid floor cleaners – There are non-skid floor cleaners that will add a sticky-traction to the surface. This is a great option for polished concrete, or concrete where slip resistance is a concern and all other options have failed.

It is important to note, that while non-slip additives and anti-skid cleaners are designed to help add surface traction, there is no guarantee they will fully remove all slipperiness from the concrete. It is important to evaluate your application, the cause of the slipperiness and the amount of slipperiness, to come up with one, or a few different solutions, to make your environment as safe as possible.