Concrete staircase / leveling / concreting on top / tiles / natural stone / wood

Dear forum members,

some time ago I noticed that if I want to tile my concrete staircase, for example, I would have to raise each step by 6 cm.

Here are the following questions:

1. According to my builder, this is normal and the staircase is always delivered this way so that, for example, 3 cm oak boards could also be installed. Is that correct?

2. What is the best way to proceed? Sand the staircase, apply bonding primer, build formwork, apply flexible mortar (tile adhesive), install screed concrete?

Thank you very much.

Hello,

I am not a professional, I can only report from my experiences.
For us, it was also the case that the concrete staircase was "lower." According to the architect and some craftsmen I talked to, this is done quite often, whether it is "normal" I don't know.
The leveling was done with Wediplatten. But be careful, I believe a concrete staircase is generally not millimeter-precise.
You might have to level 5.7 cm in one place, 6.2 cm in another, etc. So don't assume rigidly that it is exactly 6 cm everywhere.

Some time ago I noticed that if I want to tile my concrete staircase, for example, I would have to raise each step by 6 cm.

I don’t understand that cost of 6 cm for tiling in total. You should clarify in advance how the floor structure below and above should be designed, and already compensate for a possibly different overall thickness in the stair calculation.

1. According to my developer, this is normal and the staircase is always delivered this way so that, for example, 3 cm oak boards could also be installed. Is that right?

I addressed this issue four weeks ago in "Developer Offers: Caution with Special Requests" and explained it in more detail there. Unfortunately, the range of options with developer projects is often very limited.

2. How should I best build it up? Sand down the stairs, apply primer, build formwork, apply flexible mortar (tile adhesive), install screed concrete?

The best thing is not to build anything up but to clarify this with your developer before production. That much buildup already borders on shoddy work, or at least is borderline makeshift.