How Do You Repair Cracked Concrete Steps?
How Do You Repair Cracked Concrete Steps?
More significant issues, such as cracking cement stairs and big, missing sections, will necessitate a different approach. You will also require a piece of plywood to use as your shape.
- Remove unstable cement using a hand chisel and hammer or a hammer drill, chipping away all broken and loose parts.
- Use a tapcon or hammer drill to drill holes into the remaining concrete, and then drive screws into the concrete. You’ll want them to be somewhat lower than the step (they act as rebars for the new concrete, providing it more to cling to and making the repair more sturdy).
- Use a brush to clear the debris, or better yet, wash the area with water or use a shop vacuum to remove the dust and dirt.
- Apply concrete bonding adhesive to the damaged portion of the step with a paintbrush and let dry.
- Spray the form with cooking oil as described above.
- Prepare the cement according to the package guidelines.
- Place the shape against the step and secure it with concrete blocks or bricks.
Working swiftly, insert a pointed or margin trowel into the step and the recesses where the wood form is—filling in the step’s missing portions. Smooth up the top surface of the new and old cement using a steel trowel.
- Check that the step is level and modify as needed by adding cement to lower parts and scraping cement away from higher ones.
- Remove the form to reveal sections that may need to be filled in along the rise of the step. Apply cement along the front with a margin trowel and a steel trowel, forcing it into the voids and smoothing it out.
- Use your level to check the work—you can even use the edge of the level as a screed to ensure the step is plumb.
- Remove any new cement that has fallen or been scraped off to prevent it from drying and sticking to the existing concrete. If the stairs have a unique edge (rounded, for example), use a concrete edging tool to make the repaired step seem like the others.
- Smooth the surface with a damp sponge after the cement is almost dry. You may add texture to the new cement by delicately rubbing the sponge across its surface.
