Making sure your home has great curb appeal creates a welcoming environment for you and your guests. If you have broken or damaged concrete stairs leading up to an entry on your home, not only do they look unsightly, but can also be a tripping hazard. Follow these easy steps on how to fix concrete steps to spruce up the look and safety of your home.
Concrete steps can crack and crumble for a number of reasons. If they are struck with an object, a chip can start and continue to grow. Or sometimes a past repair can begin to wear away if it was not completed properly. Rain and snow can also affect the integrity of exterior concrete as water can seep inside cracks and cause further damage.
Materials Needed
Broom & Dustpan
Shopvac
Power Drill & Drillbit
Acrylic Fortifier (optional)
Wire Brush
Concrete Bonding Adhesive
Paint Brush
Bucket
Gloves
How to Repair Broken Concrete Stairs
1. Remove all separated pieces and loose particles of concrete. Use a hammer and masonry chisel to remove concrete pieces that are not fully secured. Anywhere there are cracks, the concrete is most likely loose and should be removed.
2. Clean up the work area with a broom and dustpan to completely remove all remnants of the loose concrete. Use a shopvac to gather up the concrete dust. Use a wire brush on the exposed concrete surface that you will be repairing to further remove any loose concrete.
3. Drill holes and install concrete tap-con screws at various locations on your repair surface for added strength. Be sure to drill the screws in far enough so that they will be fully encapsulated in your concrete step repair.
4. Soak a sponge in water and clean off the surface you will be repairing to clean-up any leftover dust. Allow the surface to dry.
5. Using a paint brush, brush on concrete bonding adhesive to the concrete surface you are repairing. This will help the new and old concrete adhere to one another. Be sure to get every surface the new concrete will touch including around the tap-cons. Let the bonding adhesive dry for 5-10 minutes.
5. Mix your quick-setting cement in a bucket according to the ratio shown on the package. Use a trowel to mix the product and make sure there are no clumps. Once your concrete is mixed, you will need to work quickly so that it does not harden.
Notes: By using quick-setting cement, you avoid the need for concrete forms, as you can mix the product and immediately mold it into the edge or corner shape that you need. You can mix the quick-setting concrete with an acrylic fortifier for added strength, but it is not necessary when using a concrete bonding adhesive.
6. Put on a pair of gloves and begin to trowel on the concrete mixture in order to resurface concrete steps. Apply layers of the mixture and make sure there are no air pockets. Start with the larger areas that need to be filled in first.
8. Once layers have been applied to the larger gaps, you will begin to form the cement into edges and corners that match with your existing stairs. Apply more product than needed at edges and corners to ensure you have enough material to work with while shaping. Use your finger or a small straightedge tool to create the same divots and patterns from your existing stairs.
9. Once the concrete is dry enough, use a wet sponge to rub/feather the transition from the old to the new concrete. Continue to feather the entire new concrete surface with the sponge to create a uniform texture.
10. If you are completing this repair in 80+ degF temperatures, lightly spray the finished concrete surface with water and cover it in plastic to ensure it can properly cure and does not dry too quickly and crack.
11. Repeat these steps as necessary to complete each section of your concrete step repair.
For more quick home improvement and repair tips and guides, check out The Fixer on YouTube or at thefixerhomerepair.com
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