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Front Entrance Fix-Up Dean and Derek transform a front entrance, giving it the kind of respect it deserves. Check out more Rock Solid home improvement projects. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-407

Figure A

It's a common problem: a front entrance that doesn't actually serve as a front entrance. Dean and Derek start with a house that, in the front, has a fence barrier, no front walkway and unattractive old concrete steps (figure A).

By covering the front steps with brownstone treads and real stone veneer, opening up the fence and installing a paver walkway, they give this essentially functionless front entrance a true fix up and lots of personality — something Dean and Derek aren't running short of.

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	Before
	After

Tools:

chipping hammer
stone hammer
chisel
masonry grinder w/ diamond blade
tape measure
string
string level
4 ft. level
wheelbarrow
5 gallon bucket
shovel
hoe (for mixing mortar)
trowel
square
rubber mallet
jointer
paint brush
metal spikes (for string line)
compactor
broom
marking paint
iron rake
1-inch metal pipes (for walkway guidelines)
screed board

Materials:

type-S mortar
mason sand
water
red brick
stone veneer (Wissahickon)
stone treads (Oakmont brownstone)
pieces of multiple brownstone
copper flashing
nails (for copper flashing)
3/4-inch crushed gravel
concrete sand
stone pavers
snap edging
landscape spikes
loam

Note: The quantities needed for these materials vary with application. For your specific project, Dean and Derek suggest taking your dimensions to a local quarry or distributor where the amount of each product needed can be calculated.

Figure B

Steps Demo: Concrete Lip

For this project, Dean and Derek are updating existing prefab concrete steps. Prefab means that the concrete was poured to a form, and then delivered onsite. All prefab steps have a lip that goes around the front and the sides. In this case, the lip is badly worn and chipped (figure B) Because you'll want your surface to be as even as possible before covering it with the new stone, that lip will have to go. Use a chipping hammer to knock the lip off each step.

Raise Height of First Riser Step

When covering over your existing prefab steps, it's very important to make sure that your new steps follow code. Most building codes have proper step height between six and eight inches. For this project, Dean and Derek are raising the existing step and platform to get them to code.

Important: Check your local building codes before any significant renovation or addition.

Mixing Mortar

Since Dean and Derek's steps will meet local code without demolition, they can move forward with building the new steps. But before building anything, they need to mix mortar.

For a project like this, use type-S mortar, which is a mixture of mortar and cement, and will give you a stronger bond. You'll want to use two buckets of mason sand for each bucket of type-S mortar. That will give you a richer and stickier mix.

In a wheelbarrow, dry mix the type-S mortar and sand with a hoe, then add water. Your mixed mortar should have the consistency of peanut butter.

Safety Alert: Always be sure to wear a face mask when mixing mortar or concrete in order to avoid breathing concrete dust.

	Figure C
	Figure D

Setting the First Step

With the mortar mixed, you can now add your bricks to create the new first step. You're going to be setting the brick around the front and sides to create the outline of the new step. (Bear in mind that these bricks will eventually be covered with stone veneer, so you can even recycle old bricks for this step.)

First make sure that your new step will be level to the ground. Run a string line across the steps at the new height, to mark where you'll be building up to.

For Dean and Derek's project, the original prefab concrete steps have sunk a bit, so they are no longer level. To solve that problem, Dean and Derek set two rows of brick laying flat on one end of the steps, and one row of brick standing up on its side on the other end. That evens out the height of the bricks to make the new step level (figure C).

With the bricks set, fill in the empty space behind them with broken up concrete. Then cover the concrete with mortar, and smooth it out to get a solid base for setting the stone risers (figure D).

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