Anti-Slip Tile Treatment: How to Make Slippery Tiles Safe

Smooth tiles look great until they get wet. Porcelain, ceramic and polished stone are chosen for their finish, but once water, soap or rain sits on top, that same smoothness offers very little grip. The result is a slip risk in bathrooms, entrances, hallways, pool surrounds and commercial floors. An anti-slip treatment is the most practical way to fix it, because it adds grip to the tiles you already have without changing how they look. This guide explains how anti-slip treatment works, what the slip ratings mean in New Zealand, and where to use it.

How anti-slip treatment works

An anti-slip treatment does not sit on top of the tile like a coating or paint. Instead it reacts with the surface to create a microscopic texture that increases friction between your foot and the tile. The change is invisible, so the tile looks exactly the same, but you feel the difference the moment you walk on it, especially when wet. Because there is no film, there is nothing to peel, yellow or wear away, and cleaning carries on as normal. Applied correctly, the effect lasts, unlike temporary fixes such as rubber mats or stick-on strips.

Slip ratings explained: R-ratings and SRV

If you are specifying for a commercial space, or you just want proof rather than a promise, it helps to understand how slip resistance is measured here.

Tiles are often given an R-rating from R9 to R13, based on an oil-wet ramp test, with the higher numbers offering more grip. R11 to R13 is the range usually specified for wet areas such as pool surrounds, ramps and stairs. Installed surfaces are tested with the wet pendulum test to AS/NZS 4586, which gives a Slip Resistance Value (SRV, sometimes called PTV). As a benchmark, an SRV of around 39 or above is treated as the threshold for areas that need to be slip resistant. NZS 4586 covers classifying new surfaces, and NZS 4663 covers maintaining slip resistance over time.

The practical takeaway: a smooth tile that performs poorly when wet can be lifted into a safer band with treatment. To confirm the rating you have achieved, an on-site wet pendulum test after treatment is the reliable way to measure it.

Fila PROGRIP: a professional anti-slip treatment

Fila PROGRIP is a trade-grade, ready-to-use anti-slip treatment for porcelain, ceramic and granite. It increases the surface friction coefficient and has been pendulum tested to show a significant improvement in slip resistance. It is fast-acting, leaves no film, and keeps the original appearance of the surface, with one litre covering roughly 8 to 10 square metres. It is not suitable for polished or lappato porcelain, whose surface structure prevents a consistent increase in friction, so test first if you are unsure.

Where to use it

The same principle applies across settings: add grip where water gathers, without spoiling the finish.

• Bathrooms and wet rooms: shower floors and bathroom tiles, where people walk barefoot and slip risk is a daily concern.
• Entrances, boot rooms and hallways: the spots that get wet and muddy and need traction without looking treated.
• Commercial and public spaces: granite and porcelain entrances, walkways and ramps made safer while keeping the specified look.
• Pool and spa surrounds: consistent grip across wet, high-use areas. See our dedicated guide on better grip for poolside areas.

How PROGRIP is applied

Results depend on preparation. Clean the surface thoroughly first with the appropriate Fila cleaner, for example Deterdek Pro for limescale or cement residue, or PS87 Pro for organic dirt and maintenance films. Run a patch test on a concealed area to set the contact time, since the product begins reacting within about a minute. Work in sections of roughly one to three square metres, keeping the surface wet for the determined time, then rinse and neutralise with a diluted neutral detergent such as Cleaner Pro. With routine cleaning, the anti-slip effect lasts.

Treatment, anti-slip tiles or mats?

There are three ways to make a floor safer. Replacing tiles with high-R-rated anti-slip tiles gives excellent grip but means a full re-tile, which only suits a new build or major renovation. Mats and stick-on strips are cheap and quick but trap dirt, look temporary and need replacing. An anti-slip treatment like PROGRIP works on the tiles already installed, keeps the look you chose and lasts, which makes it the most cost-effective fix for existing floors that have become slippery.

For advice on whether your tiles are suitable, or to plan a treatment for a home or commercial project, get in touch with the Surtec team.

Frequently asked questions

Does anti-slip treatment change how tiles look?

No. PROGRIP creates a microscopic texture rather than a coating, so there is no visible change. You feel the grip underfoot, but the tile looks the same.

What surfaces can be treated?

Porcelain, ceramic and granite. It is not suitable for polished or lappato porcelain, which will not take a consistent increase in friction.

How long does it last?

Applied correctly and maintained with routine cleaning, the effect is long-lasting rather than a temporary fix. There is no film to peel or wear off.

Does it meet New Zealand slip-resistance standards?

PROGRIP increases the friction coefficient and has been pendulum tested to show a significant improvement. To confirm the SRV achieved on your specific tiles, we recommend an on-site wet pendulum test to AS/NZS 4586 after treatment.

Where can I use anti-slip treatment?

Bathrooms, wet rooms, entrances, hallways, boot rooms, stairs, commercial floors, and pool and spa surrounds, anywhere smooth tiles get slippery when wet.