I'm building some steps to the main door.
Breeze block faced on the sides with brick. (I seem to be okay with the foundation and brickwork so far).
I haven't decide how to finish them yet but I am favouring a cement finish for top and front.
Got to get it right first time so what mix do you recommend. What minimum thickness will I need if it is facing onto breeze blocks?
Is it simply a bad idea and I should start looking at pave or tiles?
TIA guys.
You don't say the age of the house, but real marble tiles can look great and aren't *that* expensive. Or use a natural stone. Anything but concrete. ;-)
Victorian.
Part concrete part brick faced looks fine, the brick is more obvious than the concrete. One door step is like that and suits the building well. If I knew I could get a similar look and correct mix straight off I'd settle for it.
Firstly if your crete is going to touch the Victorian bricks I'd put a layer of 1:1:6 on the old bricks first. If you let stronger mix set onto those bricks you may have the bricks disintegrate later.
Second there are numerous creative options. Cement comes in grey and white Sand comes in red yellow and white Stone comes in almost every colour you can think of Tiles also come in all sorts of colours, and patterns of red/white or red/black tiles were very popular in Vic times.
If youre going to grey cement it, I'd say a bit of imagination is called for.
2:1 is nice and hard, and costs very very little more. For a step I'd think the tougher the better.Thick crete is stronger than thin, so I wouldnt try to use up too much of the volume with blocks if I were doing it.
Regards, NT
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