Here, a power washer can be an effective tool and a real time-saver, but an old-fashioned wire brush works too. Some jobs are better left to the professionals. Repair superficial damage by applying a layer of concrete patch with a mason’s trowel. Determine the original (or appropriate) width of the stairs, and calculate the length of the threaded rod and bolts, leaving enough room to tighten the threads into the coupling. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Bear in mind that you can always use Cement All and NewCrete in tandem, as a tag-team remedy for the full spectrum of issues that threaten to destroy any concrete installation. In addition to stains, you should be on the lookout for a range of other minor, superficial issues that commonly plague concrete installations outdoors. Depending on the condition and size of the repair … We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Every time I have asked my man to do it he said it’s going to cost a lot of money and we will need 30 bags of concrete. Hose down the steps and let them dry. To finish, smooth the Cement All with either a trowel or float, and then, once the surface has lost its moist sheen, proceed to water cure. Indeed, if you make your repair with Cement All, you can go back to regular use of the stairs in just an hour. Use these instructions to fix small holes and cracks in a concrete patio, driveway or garage floor. Consider a resin driveway surface. Avoid making embarrassing mistakes on Zoom! Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 65,528 times. falcon_flight wrote:There is older home that I'm looking at that was built 1932 with pretty steep stairs.I would like to rebuild the stairs so that they are safer and closer if not up to code. References. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. After time, the steps can crack or begin to break apart. Fortunately, so long as you rely on innovative, rapid-setting repair products from CTS Cement | Rapid Set, you’ll be able to maintain the longevity and looks of your concrete steps while still leaving plenty of time for all your other to-do’s—or for that matter, some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Does an external repair need to be covered to protect it from the rain? Continue working the mixture, either manually or with a drill-mounted paddle mixer, until it has achieved a peanut butter-like consistency. Remove all loose gravel, sand, dirt, and cement with a clean, stiff wire brush. In an hour you can repair a step. Put them together, and that makes the steepest stair … First you must discern whether the concrete is solid or pre-cast concrete. If you are using a wheelbarrow, you might construct an earthen ramp so you can wheel your cement up to the lip of the form … Best of all, NewCrete works quickly and self-cures. Most of all, though, homeowners appreciate how rapidly the product sets and cures. Dampen the existing concrete stairs, then add the NewCrete, using a trowel to smooth and shape it. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. I knew this would make … As well, when you’re dealing with a material that lasts as long as concrete does, over the years you’re bound to encounter more than one occasion for maintenance. Then coat the … For one thing, structural problems in concrete only get worse, particularly with each passing winter, until the installation deteriorates so badly that it needs to be fully replaced. Given stairs’ blocky character, a form can typically be made from scrap wood nailed into an L shape and then positioned firmly against the riser, with its top edge level with the surface of the stair tread. Then work the material for a few minutes until it resembles pancake batter. If you're handy with a miter saw, you can still install a bullnose edging for more tread width. The International Residential Code sets the maximum riser (vertical part) of a stair at 7-3/4” and the minimum tread (horizontal part) at 10”. Certainly, structural repairs are more demanding than cosmetic ones, and badly damaged concrete requires a particularly high level of effort. Although there’s no more straightforward way to revive tired concrete, there are still nuances to working with NewCrete or another resurfacer. Concrete, pavement, and gravel can only provide limited traction … There is no simple fix for steep stairs… The wet cement mixture should hold together in a clump when you squeeze a handful. The … When the form is completely full, screed off the excess concrete. If you use a bag of "cement all", which costs 6 times more than concrete, you can repair the face of a step with a flat trowel in 20 minutes (cement all hardens in 10 minutes), then apply another mix to the top of the step in another 20 minutes. Insert the rod … But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. I really feel like I can fix my broken concrete steps outside my home. It’s a bit of a drop to land on the step and to make matters worse, the step is at a slant. The unevenly … Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. If the cement mixture crumbles, add more water. You simply spread the product over the existing surface, leaving behind a smooth, blemish-free replacement layer. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. % of people told us that this article helped them. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Read on for the details. Here is an example to convey the idea. For construction professionals and homeowners alike, concrete offers many appealing qualities, but there may be none greater than its undeniable durability. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. When I was thinking through the details for our farmhouse front porch makeover, I knew from the very beginning we would want to do something to makeover the concrete steps. Restructuring a steep staircase usually means the loss of living space on one or both of the floors connected by the staircase. "Cement All" sticks to clean cement and will not come off. If your stairs have a slight curve to them, not to worry. Speed matters: If the stairs serve as the main access to the house or lie along a frequently traveled part of the property, a long and drawn-out repair process can be a real nuisance. Yes, cover the cement with plastic or plywood. Donna Boyle Schwartz, Bob Vila, 18 Home Office Items for Optimal Ergonomics and Productivity, The Most Common Concrete Problems—And How To Fix Them, The Worst Money Mistakes Homeowners Ever Make, 45 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do, The Dos and Don'ts of Air-Drying Everything You Own. At first I wanted to paint them white, but when we decided to replace all the porch flooring, I wanted the treads to match new wood. After all, foot traffic and the passage of time both take their toll. Shallow treads create tripping hazards, and steep … REPAIRING CONCRETE STEPS Printer Friendly Version Surface Preparation: Proper surface preparation is critical to achieve a successful concrete repair. If it's all wonky, like the rear dropped 3 inches and the front dropped 6, then mud-jacking (same as slab jacking -->drilling a hole and pressuring in concrete) won't work, because most of the cast steps I've seen are a hollow object sitting on a footer. If the concrete is solid, then there are a few steps … https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-repair-and-resurface-concrete-steps/, https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/exteriors/how-to-repair-broken-concrete-step-corners/, http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skill-builder/0,,466378,00.html, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. This way you do not have to create wood forms nor wait hours for it to harden. Thanks to advances in manufacturing and a range of innovative products from CTS Cement | Rapid Set, it’s never been quicker or easier to make repairs to concrete. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. By Donna Boyle Schwartz and Bob Vila. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. Believe it or not, concrete has something in common with a plain white tablecloth—both are capable of getting stained. Whether the damage involves the horizontal or vertical surfaces of the steps, start by eliminating any loose material that could interfere with proper bonding. If the affected stairs are in a highly visible location—leading up to your home’s entrance, for instance—then cosmetic reasons alone may be all the motivation you need to seek a solution. So, we decided to find a way to cover the concrete steps with wood. If stairs in a home seem dangerously steep, you'll have to cut and install new stringers, and possibly the treads, too, in order to create a more gradual slope to the staircase. You may need to remove any additional loose cement in the damaged area using a hand sledgehammer. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com. Pour the concrete. Then, to prepare the Cement All, combine the mix with the recommended quantity of water. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. While you may opt not to make a cosmetic fix—it’s purely elective, after all—structural damage is another matter entirely and should be repaired sooner rather than later. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Next, after preparing the area, move on to preparing your chosen resurfacer. This article has been brought to you by CTS Cement | Rapid Set. Work the concrete into the front of the form with your shovel or a stick. A solid, clean surface is necessary so that the repair material can permanently bond to the damaged area. Requires jacking up steps … As well, Cement All—rated three times stronger than most concrete—provides ample, lasting strength. Perhaps no hardscaping feature suffers as much as concrete stairs, which are subject to heavy foot traffic that only serves to hasten deterioration. Apr 15, 2017 - ***Updated below with pic of started project. Ready? Note that a couple of nonstandard trowels may prove handy along the way. This article has been viewed 65,528 times. In this video we go over how we built and poured 10 concrete stair steps. I’ve had more than one project where the carpenters told me, “I can save you a whole tread.” My answer is always an emphatic “No!” Saving space isn’t the goal; saving lives is. Cracked steps pose a potential safety risk to people entering or leaving your home and must be repaired. That said, you can repair damage to your concrete stairs, whether it’s the result of gradual wear and tear or a sudden trauma, with a basic course of maintenance. For structural damage, put the concrete mix over the holes or damaged areas … The stairs … Run a rubber float over the edges of the patch to feather out the edges and blend it with the rest of … Relative to other repair compounds, Cement All stands out for many reasons. Restructuring a steep staircase usually means the loss of living space on one or both of the floors connected by the staircase. 1. I saw a lot of power washing in our future! To test, lay a little down and broom it. But even so, solutions like Rapid Set Cement All enable you to shore up failing concrete on your own, and to do so easily and quickly, even without a contractor. That’s it! DIY experts show how to repair concrete steps by patching and resurfacing them. We are buying an older house that has a very steep staircase into the finished basement. It is important to keep the new cement patch moist for at least the first week after making the repair. Also, I wasn’t sure it would be very practical to have white exterior steps. How to Repair Concrete … To make the stairs safer to climb and descend, you must reduce stair riser height and increase tread depth. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. The treads are less than 7 inches deep, and there are only 9 steps where one would expect 13 steps, … You’ll want every repair job to go as quickly and smoothly as possible. For one, Cement All boasts superior adhesion, helping facilitate bonding with the damaged concrete. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Repair-Concrete-Steps-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Repair-Concrete-Steps-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/30\/Repair-Concrete-Steps-Step-1.jpg\/aid1343615-v4-728px-Repair-Concrete-Steps-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":515,"licensing":"