Beautifying concrete steps and porch

[Dave N]

We have an ugly old concrete path, steps, and porch in our front entryway, with an ugly old iron railing. We're generally working on our "curb appeal", and I'm looking for some ideas about how to make this nicer, hopefully without having to remove and rebuild the steps and porch. I'd like to reface or cover the concrete somehow, but I'm not sure what the options are. Can we add wood decking, brick, or slate on top of the concrete? Any other ideas/solutions/products/links? Thanks!

[buffalobill]

cracked concrete sidewalks and porches and steps are a property violation in buffalo ny. like peeling paint and missing attic stairway handrails, it may hold up a mortgage approval with some lenders. new concrete is quite versatile in its finishes and patterns. you will be amazed how fast the big guys with sledgehammers can remove your old concrete onto a dump truck. your ideas make it hard to shovel snow or even sweep with a broom. see if your property will pass an inspection checklist for a local certificate of occupancy. with the "CO" required by some lenders it may speed things up when you sell.

see also our friend who sells houses at:

[Doug Boulter]

Dave N wrote on 16 Jan 2006:

Maybe.

It depends on the condition of the steps and walk. If there are cracks (other than hairline cracks), then you're better off removing the old steps, rebuilding them, and then putting on the brick/tile/slate, etc. Same is true if they're pulling away from the house or sinking.

OTOH, I had brick laid over my concrete steps 20 years ago and have had zero problems, except where, in later years, a hole was drilled for a railing and the corner of the step crumbled away.

[Suzie-Q]

-> We have an ugly old concrete path, steps, and porch in our front entryway,

-> with an ugly old iron railing. We're generally working on our "curb

-> appeal", and I'm looking for some ideas about how to make this nicer,

-> hopefully without having to remove and rebuild the steps and porch. I'd

-> like to reface or cover the concrete somehow, but I'm not sure what the

-> options are. Can we add wood decking, brick, or slate on top of the

-> concrete? Any other ideas/solutions/products/links? Thanks!

Paint? You can paint a faux stone or faux brick pattern quite easily.

[homewrecker]

coral

[Goedjn]

If the concrete isn't cracked or spalling, just bleach it white, and leave it alone. If the railing is solid, clean up the rust and paint it. If it's falling down, fix it.

Clean and in good repair is what you should be after.

[DanG]

Decorative overlay may be something to consider. There are many contractors who do this work. Here is some information and pictures to see what I'm talking about:

sure you look at "overlay stamp mats". They are not clickable on my computer in Mozilla, but work fine in IE.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[HerHusband]

Dave,

Assuming the concrete is in good shape, you could install tile on top of the concrete, using whatever tile or stone you find attractive. You might want to check out these books:

"Masonry & Concrete" by Better Homes and Gardens ISBN 0-696-20666-8

"Ceramic Tile" by Creative Homeowner ISBN 1-58011-047-9

Both show examples of tiling over concrete slabs.

If the concrete is cracked and you have room beneath the door, you could build a wood deck over the top of the concrete. You could use pressure treated "sleepers" (2x4's laid flat on the slab and shimmed where needed), then attach your decking. Most any book on deck building will show examples of how to to this. One advantage to building a deck, is you can make it larger than the original porch if you wish.

Good luck!

Anthony