Step Safe Anti-Slip Concrete Coatings

Step Safe is Shieldcoat's water-based anti-slip coating for concrete. It gives driveways, paths, patios and pool surrounds a P5 slip-resistant finish, and it is a cost-effective alternative to epoxy systems. It comes in two versions: Step Safe Roll On, applied with a roller, and Step Safe Heavy Duty, an anti-slip spray resin applied by professionals.

P5 is the highest slip-resistance class in the AS 4586 wet pendulum test, the Australian standard for pedestrian surfaces. Both versions were independently tested to P5: Step Safe Roll On on Slider 96 rubber, and Step Safe Heavy Duty, under its former name Stencilshield, on Slider 55 rubber. On Roll On, an optional Floorshield topcoat lowers the rating to P4. Heavy Duty stays P5 with its clear sealer on, because the clear coats are too thin to smooth out the texture.

Both are rated P5. Step Safe Roll On is applied with a roller, suits DIY and professional use, and has a 5-year warranty. Step Safe Heavy Duty is a thicker spray resin system, sprayed with a hopper gun and finished with a decorative fleck coat and two coats of clear sealer. Both need a primer first. It is applied by professional applicators only and has a 7-year warranty.

Step Safe Heavy Duty is. Applicators and applicator trainers across Australia call it spray resin: an acrylic resin anti-slip coating sprayed onto primed concrete with a hopper gun, finished with a decorative fleck coat and two coats of clear sealer, and rated P5. It is applied by trained professionals only. Step Safe Roll On is not a spray resin: it is the roller-applied, DIY-friendly version.

No. Step Safe Heavy Duty is a water-based acrylic resin, not an epoxy. It is flexible enough to resist cracking, holds its colour in the Australian sun and gives a P5 anti-slip finish, which makes it a cost-effective alternative to epoxy on outdoor concrete.

Both systems need a primer. Concrete Primer X is used on most jobs. Step Safe WB Primer is for coating over water-based paint in good condition, because the solvent in Concrete Primer X would lift that paint. It is also the primer for fibre cement decking and suits anyone with a solvent allergy. Step Safe itself is a water-based coating, but Concrete Primer X is solvent-based.

Step Safe suits plain, smooth, exposed aggregate and stamped concrete, sound painted or sealed concrete, pool coping, fibre cement decking, and brick pavers on a concrete base. Do not coat outdoor tiles or brick pavers on a sand base.

Use Step Safe Heavy Duty. It is the only Step Safe system Shieldcoat recommends for steep driveways.

Yes, Step Safe Roll On is made for DIY. Prime the concrete, then roll on two coats with an 11mm nap roller. A Floorshield topcoat is optional. Step Safe Heavy Duty is for professional applicators only, because it needs a hopper gun and experience with the fleck coat.

Yes. The P5 texture grips well on wet concrete without being sharp or uncomfortable, and the premium acrylic resin is made to handle salt and chlorine around residential and commercial pools. Both versions contain anti-mould additives.

You can walk on both systems overnight. Wait 7 days before driving on Step Safe Roll On. For Step Safe Heavy Duty, wait 7 days, or 10 days in winter, and avoid turning tyres on the spot for 4 weeks.

Step Safe Roll On has a 5-year warranty, with or without a Floorshield topcoat, and Step Safe Heavy Duty has a 7-year manufacturing warranty, covering defects such as flaking, peeling and cracking under normal use and conditions.

Choose from 36 Shieldcoat colours, or Shieldcoat can colour-match Step Safe to almost any brand colour. Heavy Duty adds a fleck coat in two extra colours.

New concrete must cure for at least 28 days, with moisture below 3% and no hydrostatic pressure. Grind new slabs, or acid wash and neutralise them. Pressure clean at 3000 psi or more, let the surface dry for 24 hours, repair cracks with Slab Repair, then prime.

A periodic soft wash keeps it looking good and performing well. For Step Safe Heavy Duty, a fresh coat of Concreshield Clear every 4 years helps preserve the finish and extend its life.