INSL-X Sure Step · Acrylic anti-slip coating
Steps you can
trust in the rain.
A textured, skid-resistant acrylic coating for steps, patios, walkways and pool decks, inside or out. The grit is mixed right into the paint, and it goes on concrete, asphalt, wood and metal.
INSL-X Sure Step Acrylic Anti-Slip Paint
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INSL-X Sure Step Acrylic Anti-Slip Coating
INSL-X Sure Step is a 100% acrylic, textured anti-slip coating for interior and exterior walking surfaces. An aggregate mixed into the paint gives a skid-resistant finish for steps, patios, walkways, pool decks and tennis courts. It resists abrasion, fading and ponding water, fills and seals minor cracks, and cleans up with soap and water.
Key Features
- Textured, skid-resistant finish with the grit built in.
- Concrete, asphalt, wood and metal, inside or out.
- Self-priming on bare concrete, bare asphalt and sound paint.
- Resists ponding water, abrasion and fading.
- Light foot traffic in 24 hours.
- Under 50 g/L VOC.
Where to Use It
Steps, patios, walkways, pool decks, tennis courts and other foot-traffic areas. Foot traffic only: not for garage floors or driveways (use GarageGuard 1-Part). Not for immersion. Apply at 10–32 °C, with no rain threatening.
Colours and Sizes
Ready-mixed in Knight Gray, Welded Gray, Desert Sand, Tile Red, Pine Green, Saddle Brown, Light Gray, Gray Pearl and White, in 3.79 L cans.
Sure Step or GarageGuard?
Choose Sure Step where people walk and you want grip. Choose GarageGuard where cars drive: it resists hot tire pickup but isn't slip-resistant.
Specs & Coverage
- Coverage: 80–120 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat
- Coats: 2, required
| Type | 100% acrylic anti-slip coating |
| Finish | Flat, textured |
| Dry time (25 °C, 50% RH) | Touch 1–2 h. Recoat 8 h. Light foot traffic 24 h. Heavy foot traffic 4–5 days |
| Application | ½–¾ in roller, brush or squeegee |
| Primer | Prime bare wood and bare metal |
| VOC | Under 50 g/L |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water |
Application Guide
- Clean and degrease. Etch bare concrete to a fine-sandpaper feel. Scrape loose paint and dull gloss.
- Prime bare wood and bare metal.
- Stir well, then roll in 5 × 7 ft sections, cross-roll and finish with a light stroke.
- Second coat after 8 hours.
- Walk on it after 24 hours.
FAQ
1How much Sure Step do I need?
Sure Step goes on thick to build its texture, so one 3.79 L covers only 80–120 sq ft per coat, and it needs two coats. A 12 × 16 ft patio is 192 sq ft, or about 384 sq ft for two coats, so plan on 5 cans. Four steps 4 ft wide take about 1 can.
2Is Sure Step slip-resistant when wet?
It's made for areas that need extra skid resistance. An aggregate in the paint gives it a textured finish, and it resists ponding water. Any surface can still be slippery when wet or icy, so keep it clear of water, snow and ice.
3Can I use it on a pool deck?
Yes. Pool decks are on Benjamin Moore's list, along with patios, walkways, steps and tennis courts. It's not for immersion, so don't use it inside the pool.
4Can I use it on my garage floor or driveway?
No. Sure Step is for foot traffic only. For floors you drive on, use GarageGuard 1-Part.
5Do I need a primer?
Not on bare concrete, bare asphalt or sound painted surfaces, where it's self-priming. Prime bare wood with an acrylic or oil-based primer, and bare metal with an acrylic metal primer.
6Can I use it on wood steps or a deck?
Yes. Power wash, let the wood dry thoroughly and prime bare wood first. Previously painted wood just needs a wash, scrape and rinse.
7Can I apply it in the fall?
Only when the air and the surface are 10 °C or warmer, rain isn't threatening, and you're not within 5° of the dew point. Paint early in the day so it isn't wet when evening dew forms. Cool, damp weather stretches every drying time.
8When can I walk on it?
Allow 8 hours between coats, light foot traffic 24 hours after the second coat, and heavy foot traffic after 4–5 days.
9Do you ship, or can I pick up?
We ship across Canada, free on most orders over $249. Pick-up is free at our Rockwood Village store, 1292 Eglinton Ave. E, Mississauga, and most orders are ready within 4 hours.
Canada Shipping
- Enjoy free shipping in Canada on orders over $249. Yukon, NWT, Nunavut not included.
Winter Shipping:
- From December to April, shipping outside of Ontario and Quebec is limited.
- Returns accepted within 35 days from the date of delivery.
- Custom tinted paints are classified as Final Sale items and are not eligible for return or store credit.
Calculator
How much do I need?
Sure Step goes on thick to build its grip, so it covers less than regular floor paint. We use 80 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat, the low end of Benjamin Moore's coverage, and two coats.
Each step counts an 11 in tread, plus a 7 in riser if ticked. Buy all your cans at once and mix them together so the colour and texture match.
Start to finish
Two coats. One weekend.
Times are at 25 °C and 50% humidity. Cool, damp weather stretches every step.
- Day 1First coatWork in 5 × 7 ft sections. Pour, roll evenly, cross-roll, then finish with a light stroke.
- +8 hSecond coatTwo coats are required for the texture and wear.
- +24 hWalk on itLight foot traffic, 24 hours after the second coat.
- 4–5 daysBack to normalHeavy foot traffic, furniture and planters.
Prep
What are you coating?
Sure Step bonds to concrete, asphalt, wood and metal. Prep is what makes it last.
Driving on it?
Sure Step is for foot traffic only. Garage floors and driveways need GarageGuard 1-Part.
Pool deck, not pool
Great on the deck around the pool. It's not for immersion, so never inside the pool itself.
Bare concrete
- Wait 30 days if the concrete is new.
- Degrease oil, grease and curing compounds, then rinse.
- Etch with a concrete etcher until it feels like fine sandpaper.
- Rinse and dry. No primer needed.
Painted before
- Degrease and rinse.
- Scrape or power wash off loose and flaking paint.
- Sand glossy areas dull.
- Apply two coats. It's self-priming over sound paint.
Wood
- Power wash off dirt, mildew and loose fibres. On painted wood, scrape and wire-brush too.
- Optional: wash with 1 part bleach to 3 parts water, then rinse.
- Dry thoroughly.
- Prime bare wood with an acrylic or oil-based primer, then two coats.
Asphalt
- Wait 45–60 days if the asphalt is new.
- Power wash off dirt, mildew and loose gravel.
- Treat oil spots with a degreaser.
- Repair cracked or crumbling areas. No primer needed on bare asphalt.
Metal
- Remove oil, rust and mill scale by sanding, wire-brushing or blasting.
- Dull glossy old paint.
- Prime bare metal with an acrylic metal primer.
- Two coats of Sure Step.
Compare
Walking on it or driving on it?
Sure Step
- Best for
- Steps, patios, walkways, pool decks and tennis courts. Concrete, asphalt, wood and metal.
- What you get
- A textured, skid-resistant finish. 80–120 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat, 2 coats.
- From
GarageGuard 1-Part
- Best for
- Garage floors, basements and driveways that cars drive on.
- What you get
- A satin, 1-part epoxy-modified acrylic that resists hot tires. Not slip-resistant.
- From
GarageGuard Epoxy
- Best for
- Indoor garages and workshops with heavy wear and chemicals.
- What you get
- A 2-part waterborne epoxy in a semi-gloss finish. Not for outdoor floors.
- From
Specs
The details.
| Type | 100% acrylic anti-slip coating, water-based |
|---|---|
| Finish | Flat and textured, 0–10 @ 85° |
| Coverage | 80–120 sq ft per 3.79 L per coat. 2 coats required |
| Dry time | Touch 1–2 h. Recoat 8 h. Light foot traffic 24 h. Heavy foot traffic 4–5 days |
| Apply at | 10–32 °C (50–90 °F), air and surface |
| Apply with | ½–¾ in roller on a 9 in frame with an extension pole, a brush for edges and steps, or a squeegee |
| Primer | Self-priming on bare concrete, bare asphalt and sound paint. Prime bare wood and metal |
| Resists | Abrasion, fading and ponding water |
| VOC | Under 50 g/L |
| Clean-up | Warm soapy water |
How to apply
Roll it right.
- Box your cans and stir well so the grit is evenly mixed. Keep stirring as you go.
- Brush the edges, and do steps by brush or a small roller.
- Work in 5 × 7 ft sections. Pour about a third of the can in an S shape.
- Roll it out evenly, roll across at a right angle, then finish with a light, unloaded stroke.
- Second coat after 8 hours.
- Walk on it after 24 hours and allow 4–5 days for heavy traffic.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How much Sure Step do I need?
Sure Step goes on thick to build its texture, so one 3.79 L covers only 80–120 sq ft per coat, and it needs two coats. A 12 × 16 ft patio is 192 sq ft, or about 384 sq ft for two coats, so plan on 5 cans. Four steps 4 ft wide take about 1 can.
Is Sure Step slip-resistant when wet?
It's made for areas that need extra skid resistance. An aggregate in the paint gives it a textured finish, and it resists ponding water. Any surface can still be slippery when wet or icy, so keep it clear of water, snow and ice.
Can I use it on a pool deck?
Yes. Pool decks are on Benjamin Moore's list, along with patios, walkways, steps and tennis courts. It's not for immersion, so don't use it inside the pool.
Can I use it on my garage floor or driveway?
No. Sure Step is for foot traffic only. For floors you drive on, use GarageGuard 1-Part.
Do I need a primer?
Not on bare concrete, bare asphalt or sound painted surfaces, where it's self-priming. Prime bare wood with an acrylic or oil-based primer, and bare metal with an acrylic metal primer.
Can I use it on wood steps or a deck?
Yes. Power wash, let the wood dry thoroughly and prime bare wood first. Previously painted wood just needs a wash, scrape and rinse.
Can I apply it in the fall?
Only when the air and the surface are 10 °C or warmer, rain isn't threatening, and you're not within 5° of the dew point. Paint early in the day so it isn't wet when evening dew forms. Cool, damp weather stretches every drying time.
When can I walk on it?
Allow 8 hours between coats, light foot traffic 24 hours after the second coat, and heavy foot traffic after 4–5 days.
Do you ship, or can I pick up?
We ship across Canada, free on most orders over $249. Pick-up is free at our Rockwood Village store, 1292 Eglinton Ave. E, Mississauga, and most orders are ready within 4 hours.
Ready for safer steps?
Not sure about your surface? Send us a photo and ask our team. We'll tell you how to prep it and how many cans to get.