DIY Network

Concrete Step Concrete Step From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-111

If you want to add an additional concrete step to a front-door stoop, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here are all the steps you'll need to follow to build a step.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

After you’ve decided how big the step is going to be and you’ve framed it with 2x4s, you’ll want to create a "rebar grid" to support the concrete that’ll be poured in. The rebar needs to be anchored into the existing foundation as well as the ground. (The reason for anchoring the rebar into the foundation is that the ground might begin to settle over time and you don’t want your step to break away from the stoop.) You also want to be aware of the rise (i.e., the height that you step up from each stair); a comfortable rise is about 7". Now you can prepare the concrete.

For a small outdoor project, a good idea is to use a portable concrete mixer (figure A); which can be rented for about $50 a day. With a yard hose in hand, and after you’ve poured the quick-setting concrete mix into the mixer, you’ll need to spray small amounts of water into the mixture. You don’t need to add a lot of water, just enough to keep the mixture from being too clumpy or too runny. After dumping the mixture from the wheelbarrow into the step’s frame, spread the mixture out with your shovel, working all the air out of it simultaneously. The quick-setting concrete mix takes about 20 to 30 minutes to dry. When the step’s frame has been filled, use a trowel to smooth over the surface to give the step a finished look and an edging tool to clean up the edges (figure B). You’ll take the frame off after the concrete mixture has cured; which can take as long as 30 days.

If your walkway separates one part of the yard from another, you can install a PVC pipe to run under the walkway, which will allow for a hose to water both sides of the porch. The new plants should have a hole dug out to about twice the size of each plant’s rootball.