Overview: Old concrete steps are vulnerable to chipping, breakage and cracks. When the combination of long years and extreme climatic conditions take a toll on concrete steps causing them to chip, crumble or crack you need to look for an easy way to repair them. Deteriorated and broken concrete steps need to be repaired before someone trips going down or up the steps and gets seriously injured.
Most homeowners feel that repairing concrete steps can be an intimidating and difficult task which requires lots of time and efforts, but actually it is not so. Small or big cracks in concrete steps are easy to repair with minimal efforts. If your steps are in need of repair check out the repair procedures offered below.
Concrete Step Repair Methods:
The following instructions are for the repair of concrete steps with small and large cracks. The following tools and supplies that you may need can be purchased at any home improvement supply center:
· Concrete bonding agent
· Ready mix concrete
· Putty knife to smear sealant into small cracks
· Cold chisel for removing broken concrete
· Wheelbarrow or concrete mixer
· Caulking gun and waterproof caulk or waterproof sealant
· Wooden float or trowel
· Eye protection equipment
· Plastic sheeting to cover repair concrete
· Sledge hammer to chip away old concrete
· Safety gloves
Concrete Repair of Small Cracks:
Small or hairline concrete cracks concrete grinding machine hire can turn into bigger cracks that can lead to more serious damage and cause serious injuries. If these cracks are not repaired water may get into them and freeze causing larger cracks and broken concrete. The first step in repairing small concrete cracks is to clean the crack using a wire brush and air from an air compressor. Put waterproof filler and sealant into the length of the crack. Use a putty knife to push the sealant into the crack. This will fill the crack and prevent the water from entering it. Then smooth the surface with concrete and cover the surface for a few hours so that nobody steps on it.