How to Repair Broken Concrete Stairs - Quick and Easy
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2021
- In this video I show you how to easily repair broken concrete stairs with Quikcrete quick-setting cement.
Items I used for this repair:
Tapcon Screws - amzn.to/3aGWLsj
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Sponge - amzn.to/32TQ8yH
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Hey, THANKS! I'm a single woman and do all the work around the house myself. I appreciate this video and it has given me the confidence to tackle my front steps that are crumbling! Thanks again!
@ Judy Konopka Girl power!
Its very difficult to live single why you are single?
Grinding the damaged area helps with the bond as well. The prep work is as important as the product you use to repair it.
I have to do all mine to. very helpful.
@@babarhussain2354 It's also even more difficult living in a nightmare scenario with another.
I've been a handyman since 1996 and done some corner repairs like that. You did an excellent job. Not many people go on to show it done right but you did. I like how you're so meticulous in making sure that it comes out looking nice as well. Keep up the good work.
You know you empower those of us who knew nothing about all this! THANK YOU.
Very beautiful job. I am a single mom and can do projects. You made it very easy and simple. I appreciate your video
I'm Brazilian. I'm learning English and I like watching your Channel. Very good.
I love this channel, It teaches me so much. Things that I can do on my own while saving money. That’s very important to a single Mom😊
Thanks this is exactly what I need to do on my bottom step. Can''t wait to fix mine.
One thing you should to demo and prep is pressure washing the area thoughly. It's two fold one it gets all debris out and hydrates the concrete giving a better bond.
The sponge makes all the difference. Great job!
I use a masonry (grass fiber) brush as well, they smooth everything out really good, and is great for priming the area with diluted concrete/primer mix.
Once it's kinda setup, grab some black earth top soil and sprinkle it all over the new patch. Kinda rub it in. Let it sit. The next day, hose it off.
It'll look alot less noticeable of a patch.
If you don't have any "glue", you can use a mix of just water and cement. Mix to a consistency of paint and brush it on like you did with the "glue". Works just fine, and has been used in the trade for as long as concrete repairs has been done.
And the rougher the old surface is the better. If the surface is too smooth, the new concrete won't bind properly and delaminate.
Btw, my dad was tasked to patch the corners on the foundation on my house some years ago. The old man insisted on doing it at around 90°F and in bright sunlight. It didn't take long for the repairs to start flaking off.
When covering a repair with plastic to trap the moisture, make sure the plastic doesn't touch the fresh concrete, or you can end up with "zebra stripes" in it.
Awesome tip! I didn’t know that! Thanks, Henrik!
Use portland cement to do this.
@@TheFixerHomeRepair
Just to add on that. To promote chemical bonding between the old and new concrete, you should wet the existing concrete for a couple of hours for it to be wet inside but dry at the surface (SSD). You also want to remove all the delaminated concrete (we can see cracks on the right portion of the repair... so that one won't stick).
Yup slurry for big patches a must with glue if it’s on hand
Thanks
Nice! I have some concrete on my patio that needs fixed & you showed me what to do (I'd have never thought to add the tapcons & wondered how I'd prevent this from happening again). Thank you!! 🙂
Delivered mud for 8 years, glad to see you doing it right on, especially using the glue and the screws as a form of rebar stand in. seen too many people slap it on and wonder why it lasts for only a little while.
Thats the best match I've ever seen...great work.
This video was very well done. I like how you clearly showed exactly how to affect the repair including materials needed. Thanks!
So that turned out fantastic!!! I never would have thought that groove would have looked as original as it does but wow!
Looks great. Incredibly accurate video. I'm glad there are still people out there with integrity and pride in their work👍👍
Who knew fixing concrete stairs could be so riveting? Great job! 😄
God's blessings to all Amen 🍀🤗😇😇🍀💚💛
I am planning to repair some concrete curbs in my garage and the timing of this video couldn’t have been more perfect for me! I really enjoy the details and explanations you go into.
I thought it was going to come out crappy, but you proved me wrong. It came out 100X better than I would have done, great job.
😁 Thanks!
Rub in some black earth top soil before its totally hard. Won't be nearly as noticeable.
I learn from you videos because you solve issues that we all face around our homes and you explain what and why you're doing what you do and your instructions are easy to follow. I look forward to the next one.
This was such a helpful video, thank you. I am tackling a similar project this weekend, so watching somebody do it step by step is great for the average DIYer like me.
I am an engineer and have fixed this many times in parking garage stairwells. More than likely the post is completely corroded out in the concrete. We had to weld a sleeve onto the post about an inch and a half above the step and add sealant to stop water from pooling, then redo the entire corner of the step. We did use tapcons to hold the repairs!
This is the exact reason for the tragedy in south Florida, those buildings that were constructed 30-40-50 years ago were reinforced with rebar,the salt in the air seeps in and thru the concrete rusting the rebar,untill it cracks the concrete.mamy thousands of these now death traps are all along our coastlines, it would be very sad if this is ignored by owners and state laws designed to protect people.
@@thomaslinger4062 No easy way to do something with rusted reinforcement inside of old concrete. Epoxy coated reinforcement did not exist then. And even if you can do something, the price of repair is too high. Who will pay for that? Try to convince the owners of those condos in high-rise buildings that they have to bay 10, 20, 30 thousand for a repair, which they feel unnecessary!
@@thomaslinger4062 Not just your coastlines either.... Can't even fathom the cost to society.
If you can weld correctly, you need to cut the old post flush on the surface, extract the old embedded piece of metal with a core drill bit (2” diameter or larger if metal shims were used) install a new post and use hydraulic cement. Then you can fix the step.
I do this for a living.
You're a maintenance engineer then.
I see people commenting on the handrail I think they forgot what the video was all about lol. You’re just showing us how to patch up broken concrete for a cheaper quicker way and I’m sure if the handrail was loose or unsafe you’d have made a video about that as well. Great video keep up the good work, thanks again !
Yes! Thank you, Glenn!
Thank you so much for your very informative video where even a dummy like me could understand it and feel brave enough to try and tackle my own crumbly step in my garden. Really appreciate your time in showing us what to do!
Hey, Jen! I hope the video helps! Be sure to come back and let me know how it went if you fix your steps!
Nice work. I’ve used this product in my basement for various repairs. It’s easy to use and shape. The sponge is a nice additional touch!
Yes, and the edge-profile matching was some nice attention to detail, too!
Perfect timing! my steps took a real beating this winter. They look alot like yours. Nice repair
Mine too! 😊
Some of the people in the comments were talking about the rusting steel railing and how it’ll blow out the concrete patch again. Maybe you already know about that, but w/ SO many projects to attend to, you’re probably just doing what’s manageable for now.
Hope the repair holds up long enough until you can replace the railing. Thanks for another great video! 👍 I also saw that some people use your vids to learn English-you’re the first home improvement channel I’ve seen to receive those kinds of comments, and what a compliment-educational on multiple levels!
Thank you. I had a similar problem and it was a hole in the side of a cement porch. Instead of rebar or screws, I used a 3d pen to draw out a frame and the cement held on to it wonderfully. Right through winter. The spot that did not have the 3d pen structure ended up cracking and will need to be redone. Fortunately, it's on the side of the stairs just like you displayed there. But this time I'm going to use the screws and steps you used in the video. Thank you. that was very helpful.
Wow, amazing fix to the broken cement!!! I love it.
thank you! This is a great video - clear, no fluff, and easy to follow. I will be repairing our steps this weekend (after putting it off for years because I was intimidated) and your video gave me the confidence to do it. Thank you!!
Glad to hear you're tackling the project! Let me know how it comes out. Good luck, Jillian! 😃
Great video. I'm helping my 80yo neighbor with her very old Philly home. This is exactly what she needs help with.
I'm framing right now, eventually going to start my own company. Just soaking as much experience as I can, pretty lucky we do a lot of forming & random concrete jobs too on the weekends, plus videos like this help so much thanks
That looks great!! Glad the weather is warming up for us all finally.
Mrs/Ms Foster fine🔥
The concrete looks great, but you are beautiful Dana Foster...
I wish the warm weather would stick around, now it's almost over
Wow! I didn't think concrete could be improved that much. Looks great!
Thanks! This is the ONLY video I found that actually helped me with the repair I need to do. I appreciate it.
I had my doubts as you started but you really kicked it into gear at the end. Awesome job!
When patching older concrete, keeping soaked rags on a cleaned face overnight (or until the cement stops absorbing water) prevents the old cement from vampiring water from the new which causes it to pull away /crack. It looks like the adhesive is latex type, which can also be mixed into the new cement for strength, adhesion, and waterproofness, but it raises the cost and causes it to set REAL slowly.
I had no idea you could mix the adhesive with the concrete!! I have a project where I will definitely put that to use. Thank You!!
@@kennethamend8557 Take note to mix per instructions, too much and the cement never sets or is very weak. It also causes it to set very slowly (hence in increase an strength). Again, check the instructions, but my experience is at least 2x longer.
Excellent point about wetting the existing surface, so it does not draw moisture from the fresh concrete.
As an inspector it is always a fight to get the crews to wet dry stone or existing concrete surfaces that they are pouring up against. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done.
You are truly a lifesaver. I have this exact issue and you’ve shown me how to properly fix it.
His concrete work was nice. But he didn't fix the root problem with the metal pole. It'll just happen again.
I did basically the same thing on a broken driveway edge. And I too removed anything that wasn't very well connected. Than I mixed up some concrete and applied it and even took some dirt to add to the final to give it the same color as the rest of the drive way. That was a few years ago, and if you didn't know where it was repaired, you never could tell. Always a way to repair things... Thumbs Up
Single gal here that just bought a house in Central PA. Corner front step was hit apparently before I bought it. I've asked several guys about how to repair and have been told impossible. Thank you for showing me it IS possible. Can't wait for Spring!
It helps to tie a piece of coat hanger wire between those tapcons for added “rebar” strength.
I just repaired steps at my daughters home.. I would have used the coat hanger trick if I had known.. oh well they are moving anyway..
@Allan Ruschman Won't a coat hanger promote rust inside your concrete?
@@ydobeoN not to a point that it would be detrimental; also, a coat hanger has some sort of coating on it. I did a repair around a foundation window replacement where blown out concrete was a huge mess. 18 years later you can’t even tell.
Coat hanger won`t last because of being a soft steel. A miniature rebar called pencil rod can be obtained from supply houses it also comes in a fiberglass version also.
It looks great and you did a great job! I thought it was interesting how you installed the screws to act as a rebar to strengthen the bond.
I’m so glad I found this!! Our back steps are in a little bit of rough shape and I can’t really afford to have someone come out to do it for me. But, I think I might be able to patch a few smaller areas now. This was so helpful!!
Exactly how I would have done it, well done. One year cement mason apprentice here, haha..I was fortunate to learn only patching for the most part..only reason I learned about this type of repair
When adding the bolts it's a good idea to not put them in a straight line. You're trying to not split the concrete.
That’s a good tip! Thanks! If I used chicken wire, around the tapcon screws, would that help support and bond? Or just be silly. It’s a big area I’ve got to do.
Love the content and like how you explain the process, helps me understand more and pick up tips in diy
That corner looks so darn good. Even the edge groove blends with the original one. I like that you put those cement screws to anchor the cement and that you showed how to use the trowel to see if they were sunken enough. All it needs now is some kind of epoxy cement paint over the entire step...and a spritz of white Rust-Oleum on that icky rusted metal bannister!
Nice job. I fixed my front steps las summer using the same products. I used a 6 inch drywall taping knife which worked great.
“Im gonna say that looks pretty good” mate it doesn’t look good, looks bloody incredible, great job there
So glad your back
Was skeptical at first...and I ended up very impressed & educated! Nice job.
I have a similar problem, but not quite as bad. I think I will try this. Thank you for the demo!
Neat video, loved the way it feathered nicely.
Absolutely beautiful! This was very helpful...being a painter, I'd then use a cement paint on those steps! Thank you!!
What brand do you recommend?
@@koshar44 Two products: 1) BEHR Premium Porch & Floor Paint and 2) Sherwin Williams Porch & Floor Enamel (Satin).
@@jayumble8390 thanks for the recommendation. I’m repairing painted steps today and glad you added this info.
@@graytieman Oh, one more thing...I noticed that the metal post has some rust going on there and I can recommend the best anti-rust paint that exists. It's by a company called "Imperial" and the paint is call "Rust No More". I've only been able to get this paint online. I've used this paint on jobs and 7 years later there are still no signs of rust bleeding through. It's quite expensive...I bought a Qt. for $35 and was charged $15 for shipping, so a Qt. cost me $50. Of course you have to pass this cost along to the customer.
This is exactly what I needed, except that I need to repair and maybe extend forward the crumbling concrete under a threshold I just replaced. Thanks so much and you just got yourself another subscriber!
Excellent tutorial on cement stair repair in actual real world scenario. Thanks and keep it up!
That looks awesome ! Not sure why anyone would give this a thumbs down🤷♂️
Just from observation. It looks like the asphalt was right to the stairs with no expansion strip. If the asphalt heaves faster in the winter than the stairs you have an upward motion pushing on the front and the corner. I note the asphalt has not been sealed which allows water to get between the cement and the asphalt. It’s hard to tell if the asphalt is tapered away from the concrete.
In a northern climate you have road salt and beet juice two corrosive chemicals that can be brought to the stairs by shoes, snow shoveling and the like.
Finally, the finished product looks very nice, but it is best if a sealer is used all the stairs; probably several coats to the repair and flat surfaces. A well done video for the home owner!!!
Great job , makes me feel confident in trying this and doing a decent job .
Thank you for making this video, I need to do the exact same thing on my basement steps under the storm door. Much appreciated man!!
SAME
Nice work. Would love to see you resurface cement steps or pretty them up with tile or veneer. I need to do that some year
That rusting iron bar will continue to rust and eventually explode that concrete out. Could try treating the iron with rust killer, and then seal the area where it meets the concrete with a flexible sealant designed for exterior surfaces.
He should waterproof the base of the metal poles. Even a sealant would’ve stopped it. However it’s rusted now all the way now, so he may just want to tear the stairs out. Start fresh
The topic is concrete repair; he said he’d deal with the post later, dude.
No. No further rusting once the cement is applied. The lack of oxygen will prevent any rust formation.
@@luisazpurua1 That's true. So long as no oxygen, through air or water, gets to the iron, it won't rust. Unfortunately, the iron is being used as a stairwell rail and if it's pulled on enough, it will start to loosen at the base. A very tiny bit at the time. In this case, probably take theory years to have a problem. And that's IF it is exposed to see.aerious stress from people pulling on it. So yeah, the repair should last a long, long time.
@@rickhinojosa5455 Well, yes...if the base loosens up or if they don't keep the tubes painted, rust will eventually find its way in.
Thank you for this excellent video. I had never done concrete work and I had steps that needed repair. Your video gave me the confidence to do the repair work and to do so without building a form.
I have the same problem, thank you for taking the time. Great job
Looks nice, you did a great job. Your stairs look like mines, yours are a bit more damaged. I can always attempt to repair them. The men in my house are useless when it comes to that stuff, gotta do it myself. 😉
Great video! I always love your simplicity in teaching. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Awesome to hear! Thanks for checking it out. I hope it helps you if you are ever doing a repair like this!
Fixer, yours was an outstanding presentation. The tapcon usage as mini-rebars seems to be a good idea that I wouldn't have thought of. Thank you and may God Bless.
Needed a reminder and this is the best, most concise video I've seen on CZcams. Thank you sir!
Fantastic! Love these videos. Never know what I will learn.
Preparation. The most important step.
Way to keep it simple and easy.. The one thing I do different is I use a margin trowel to mix in the bucket, but awesome job!!
Great idea with the tapcons. Going wrap bailing wire from screw to screw like mini rebar just give more grab in the thicker areas. Thanks for sharing 👍
You're awesome...great job 👏 👍
You shouldn't have any problems after using the bonding adhesive, without that it would have all crumbled away again as soon as the frost gets to it because the old surface will be soft and needs the bonding to stabilise it. Pretty good finish as well by the way, though would have been nice to see it a couple of days later when it had set up and dried out.
Beautiful. Adhesive and tapcons - I always did it that way myself. In fact I add some adhesive to the grout as I mixed it. Your mix is pretty wet. I'm surprised that stuff held on so well. Turned out nice.
I use the quikset fast setting mortar repair and i swear by it. You can use it over head on the ground or side walls most situations no forms are needed. Its so moldable. I replaced a corner of my slab foundstion that was knocked out with a backhoe. I mixed and pressed it in place with a trowel layer by layer about 6 " deep. No milk(bonding agent) no rebar. Youre right about the tapcon screws. Or even drilling out and sticking rebar in. Its only going to strengthen the repair but the mortar repair is amazing. I havent used the cement youre showing.
Nice job, looks great 👍
Thanks so much, Mike! Means a lot coming from you!!
Man, getting a like from a concrete legend. Nice!
Yeah it looks really good but we all know that the corroded steel should have been removed because it will only continue to corrode and blow that corner off in no time.
Looks reasonable but won't last 5 minutes, nearly everything that he has done goes against good concrete practice, you can see that he is not used to handling a trowel, poor amateur.
@@paddyarnold6340 Obviously you know much more than the concrete guy who thought he did well. Thanks for pointing that out!
Just something to consider: the iron railings should be inserted in a lead base. The chemicals in the concrete reacts with the iron and makes it rusty. The lead base prevents the rusting because lead, like gold, is neutral and doesn’t react with most things..
No new rust will form once the steel is sealed with concrete. No oxygen, no rust.
@@luisazpurua1 I'm not sure why you think that but you're wrong - steel reinforcement inadequately embedded (but 'sealed' from the air) will rust.. Take a look at any number of concrete projects from the 50's. 60's and 70's and you'll find occurances of concrete spalling off those structures, forced off by the rusting, and expanding, steel rebar that's too close to the surface of the concrete..
Although steel's natural tendency is to undergo corrosion reactions, the alkaline environment of concrete (pH of 12 to 13) provides steel with corrosion protection. At the high pH, a thin oxide layer forms on the steel and prevents metal atoms from dissolving.
@@thecatfighter1 then there must be a lot of concrete out there with a low ph - ‘concrete cancer’ is real
@@luisazpurua1 all I can say about this is in Pittsburgh you can walk down a single street and see almost every single concrete step or porch with a steel railing in it is cracking out from rusting/expansion of the steel...so either everyone is doing it wrong (I mean, that's definitely possible!) or this doesn't work in practice.
Great job. Everytime I thought he should do he did. The sponge is key on the finish.
Looks great! Your video definitely helped me figure out what I need to do to my steps
Maybe if you pained the steps a light grey with non slip additive in it, it’ll prevent water from entering the cement? Kinda like making them water proof or something. Looks great!
That is a good idea! I will have to look into it. Maybe I can just do the tops... if that wont look too weird. Thanks for stopping by and for the comment!
One thing you should mention, wet a couple times during curing. Keeps the cracking down and makes the concrete stronger.
Plastic on it, would work way better. Concrete can cure in 30 days, but only if its wet.
Thank you for making this look very easy! I need to do some of this on areas of my porch!
Thank you. You made video extremely straight forward and easy to follow.
Nice!!!
You've got a good eye, looks great except that cuddy post looks worse now :)
ya. but probably even just a little sanding and paint could help the appearance until fixing it properly.
Exactly what I need to see for my project and the same products I bought! Perfect!
Thank you for this tutorial, I have a concrete set of steps with one crumbling stair holding a wrought iron railing. Now I can successfully repair this.
Great to hear, Charles! Let me know how it goes! Thanks for watching!
You have a good eye, very pleasing results, but, it makes that cruddy post look even worse :)
Quick dry cement and time lapse goes perfectly
😂😊😂
Big Thumbs Up for you! It looks way better and you were quite meticulous and thorough. Thanks.
I learned some English from this video and I will follow the same instructions to do similar repair next week. I'll keep coming back. Thank you
Awesome to hear! Thanks so much for letting me know and thanks for watching!
Ah man, I wanted to see it once it fully cured. Maybe in your next video as an update?
Well when I do the handrail you will definitely see it cured. Stay tuned! Thanks for watching!
Our little hardware store only has the dry stuff. I just got a bag of sand and cement, got to do the same thing on the steps
I used the same products on my garage floor a couple years ago and it worked perfectly.
I was leery when you started to form the corner but the job turned out excellent. I'm impressed. Well done.
Nice patching job. Now mix up Portland cement and a little sand & water to make a paint and go over the entire stairs to make it look brand new. Once that is cured go over it with concrete sealer to keep all water out thus preventing ice from destroying your "new" stairs.
its been 2 years, can we get an update?
Update with all the views he was able to pay for a new set of steps. Jk I would like a update
A young man with skills,,,great.
Good job,,,
Thanks for the video. I've worked with concrete to fill in gaps in my sidewalk but now my front stairs are crumbling. This video helped a lot and I'm hoping to tackle it this weekend!
Let us know how it comes out! Good luck 👍😃