How To Repair Crumbling Cement Steps

This week'south tutorial is all virtually showing you a quick way to fix cement steps in less than ane day.

Hither's the deal, yous don't need whatsoever cement experience to do this.

If you mess up information technology won't exist the end of the world either. Later all, you already have a broken step, right?

I'll walk y'all through this repair, show you all the tools and share the products that are DIY friendly.

Cement isn't much different than playdough, although the erstwhile is a tad chip harder in the end!!

So let'south have some fun and get started 🙂

Cement Footstep Repair Supplies

Hither are the supplies you need

Hammer
Cold Chisel
Condom Goggles
Gloves
Margin Trowel
Steel Trowel
Edging Tool
Plastic Tub (for mixing cement)
Shovel or Hoe
Garden Sprayer
Respirator
Quikrete Bonding Adhesive
Quikrete Quick Setting Cement
Hammer Drill
Tapcon Screws
Flat Head Bit for Drill
2 Foot Level
Grout Sponge
Pam Cooking Spray (haha, this is perhaps the best cement tool)
Quikrete Sealer
Cinder Blocks
Forest (2×viii for creating a form, I'll explain)
Tapcon Drill Bit
Bucket
These Amazon affiliate links help keep the lights on at HRT headquarters…mucho gracias

Yeah, in that location are a lot of tools.

But read on and I'll have a surprise at the terminate that could assistance 😉

Here's what you'll learn

How to patch crumbling or broken cement steps

Your first step to fixing steps (pun totally intended, haha) is prep work.

Prep piece of work: it's non simply for the prom, cement steps have needs as well!!

I remember the prom and think cement steps need more primping than guys.

Seriously, all I did was comb my pilus, buy some flowers, and rent a tux.

Fleck off any loose or crumbling cement. You tin can employ a hammer and cold chisel to practise this.

You'll also want to undercut the edges of the stride. Undercutting is simply adding a v-shaped groove. This helps the new cement stay in place during freeze/thaw cycles.

Drill holes into the crumbling step using a hammer drill and Tapcon drill bit. Stick with me here because this tip can hateful the difference between your step lasting years or falling apart.

Add Tapcon Screws…They're Awesome

Tapcon screws tin then exist screwed into the holes and human activity as anchors for the new cement. This anchoring effect should be used on areas of the pace that are steep.

You tin use either your hammer drill or impact driver to tighten the Tapcon screws. I used Tapcons that were 1 3/4 inches long and like to have their heads 1/4 or 1/2 inch below the new cement.

The one affair you lot don't want is the screw heads to exist sticking out above the new surface. So continue this in listen when tightening them.

Use Bonding Adhesive (Of import!!!)

Dust off the entire step. Loose cement or dust volition hurt the bond betwixt the new cement and the old step.

For repairs that require more than i/two inch of cement, you should consider using Quikrete Bonding Adhesive. This product is fabulous at getting new cement to bail with the existing step.

Let the adhesive dry for ii-3 hours before applying the new cement.

Now that you're done with prep it's fourth dimension to go to the big trip the light fantastic. And I'll show yous all the right moves, like what cement to use and how to tool it.

Using the right cement and tools (and believe information technology or not, they all fit in your automobile's trunk)

It'due south astonishing that your holiday turkey might weigh more the cement in today'south project.

You can purchase xx-pound pails of Quikrete Quick Setting Cement. And so you lot don't need to be a stiff person to set up cement steps, contrary to most Television set shows.

I like using this kind of cement because it sets up in 15-20 minutes. Yeah, you'll have to motility fast merely don't worry. I'll evidence you how to relieve time.

Measure the tiptop of your step. Cut a piece of wood that's at least that height. Y'all'll want the wood to too be the length of the stride because it will serve as a course.

Spray the form with Pam, yeah I recommend Pam cooking spray! Primarily because you lot probably already have it. Pam prevents your new cement from sticking to the wood form.

Trust me, Pam is a remarkable cement or concrete tool. If it stops steak or craven from sticking to the grill then cement is no friction match!

Identify the forest form confronting the step. Identify cinder blocks again the forest to hold it in place.

I chose to utilize Quikrete Quick Setting Cement for this projection for its quick drying time. And this was an absolute necessity since there's no other way to
access the house except through these steps.

After watching my video you'll likely accept a good idea of how fast you demand to work. It's not that hard but you do need to keep track of time and so that the cement doesn't harden on you (or your front steps!!!)

Mixing the Cement (this stuff sets fast)

Earlier mixing upwardly the cement accept all of your tools ready then that you can move apace.

Estimate how much cement yous need and then add it to a plastic tub. Create a crater in the cement so add together your water. This makes information technology easier to mix the cement with a shovel or hoe.

The ﬁnal consistency should exist similar super thick ice cream. Scoop the cement upwards with a margin trowel and dump it between the wood form and step. Push button down on the cement to compress it against the class. In one case your cement is packed down yous should use a steel trowel to make it level.

Use a level to check that it, well, is in fact level.Awaitfor any low or high spots. Make full low spots with extra cement and remove high areas with your steel trowel.

Remove the wood grade and fill voids on the vertical surface. Y'all tin either use your steel trowel or level to check that the vertical portion is plumb (aka straight up and downwardly). This process is only like the one you did for the horizontal surface area of the step.

One time yous're satisfied with the shape of your step yous can use an edging tool to circular off the border. This is a prissy affect and also helps preserve the structural integrity of the step.

Polish the surface of your footstep with a grout/cement sponge. You'll totally love the texture the sponge leaves behind and it besides gives super-smooth transitions betwixt the old and new surface.

Steps for Longterm Success (pun intended)

Keep the new cement moist for as long every bit the directions state. In this case, it's 48 hours.

You lot tin so encompass the cement with plastic to preserve the moisture.

The final matter you demand to do is seal the new cement. If you lot utilise Acrylic Concrete Cure and Sealer by Quikrete at that place's no need to spray the cement stride with water. This kind of sealer can be sprayed immediately after the cement has set and it'll keep the cement stiff for years to come.