Concrete Step Repair1. Remove the damaged step and start from scratch. You can use a sledgehammer, but a jackhammer makes the process much easier.
Safety Alert: When using a jackhammer, don’t forget to wear work gloves and safety goggles.
Tip: Make sure to remove all loose concrete, dirt and roots growing under the step.
2. Install the wooden forms. You need to make your replacement steps match exactly the height and depth of those you are replacing.
3. Remove the dirt along the side of the steps.
4. The side of the form should rest on the ground with the top of the wood level and the height of the top of the new step.
5. Use stakes to hold it in place.
6. The board for the front of the step should be cut to the height of the step. Make sure it is plumb and nail it in position.
7. Stake the other sideboard in position.
8. Put a level on the top of the sideboard and push dirt underneath so it slopes down slightly. You want rainwater to run off the front of the step.
9. Where you are putting a new concrete slab against old concrete, make sure to add a piece of expansion joint. That way the new concrete will not break against the old as it expands with the changing seasons.
10. Mix your concrete. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
11. Do a process called "screeding". Basically, it’s getting a straight edge across the top.
12. Slowly work the concrete back and forth across the concrete and use the forms as your guide. Any excess, pick it up and throw it in the low spot.
13. The screeding process is complete. If it's a little rough, you want to do a process called "floating." That’s where you get a trowel and really give it a smooth finish.
14. You can't go any further until you let the concrete set up for an hour or two.
15. Once the concrete surface is dull, use an edger to create smooth corners. If you want to give the step a little more texture, draw a coarse brush along the top as it dries. If the texture disappears, because the surface is too wet, float the surface and try it again in 10 minutes.
16. When that period of time is over,remove the forms by tapping on the wood in several directions.
17. If the riser surface is rough you can smooth it out by grinding. Any small holes can be filled with patching cement.
