Repairing your concrete steps is a very easy task, however, you will need many tools to begin the job. These include a cold chisel, sledgehammer, garden hose, whiskbroom, hammer, shovel, sturdy wheel barrow, stiff paint brush, wood concrete float and a trowel. For materials, you would need boards as long and wide as the steps to be repaired, bricks, short pieces of 2x4, four-penny common nails, plastic drop cloth, ready mix sand concrete mix and liquid concrete bonding agent.
Begin by preparing the edges of the damaged steps; this may be achieved by chiseling out the weakened concrete. Use a sledgehammer to expose and widen down to solid concrete. Using your chisel, cut a V shape into the damaged area in the step. Build a form using boards as long and wide as the step being repaired, set the boards around the step and hold it firmly in place (use bricks to keep in place)
Prepare your ready mix sand concrete (follow instructions on package), pour dry mix into sturdy wheel barrow, add water and use shovel to mix, when mix is ready, use a water hose to dampen concrete steps, apply liquid concrete bonding agent to the chiseled out edge with a stiff brush (rinse brush immediately). Fill the boarded step’s chiseled cavity with concrete using a shovel or trowel, and pack concrete firmly into undercut.
Use trowel to level newly poured concrete so as to meet the old concrete’s surface. Use wood float to smooth surface, wait 45 minutes, and then smoothen again, this would help to match the texture of the existing concrete. For a smoother look, wait for film of water from last smoothing to be absorbed, and then smoothen again with a trowel. Cover steps with a plastic cloth, with weight above, below and the mended sides and leave for a week; wet occasionally with a garden hose; job done.
Begin by preparing the edges of the damaged steps; this may be achieved by chiseling out the weakened concrete. Use a sledgehammer to expose and widen down to solid concrete. Using your chisel, cut a V shape into the damaged area in the step. Build a form using boards as long and wide as the step being repaired, set the boards around the step and hold it firmly in place (use bricks to keep in place)
Prepare your ready mix sand concrete (follow instructions on package), pour dry mix into sturdy wheel barrow, add water and use shovel to mix, when mix is ready, use a water hose to dampen concrete steps, apply liquid concrete bonding agent to the chiseled out edge with a stiff brush (rinse brush immediately). Fill the boarded step’s chiseled cavity with concrete using a shovel or trowel, and pack concrete firmly into undercut.
Use trowel to level newly poured concrete so as to meet the old concrete’s surface. Use wood float to smooth surface, wait 45 minutes, and then smoothen again, this would help to match the texture of the existing concrete. For a smoother look, wait for film of water from last smoothing to be absorbed, and then smoothen again with a trowel. Cover steps with a plastic cloth, with weight above, below and the mended sides and leave for a week; wet occasionally with a garden hose; job done.
