Concrete Steps and Stoops in Norfolk, VA

Why steps take more than a slab

A flight of steps is formed work. Every riser needs a form held square and braced against the pressure of the pour, the treads need to come out true with just enough pitch to shed water, and the whole flight has to sit on ground that will not settle. Compared to a slab on grade, there is far more to build before any concrete arrives.

Even risers matter more than anything else on a set of steps. People climb steps without looking at them, and a rise that changes from one step to the next is what causes a stumble. Keeping the rise even across the flight is decided when the forms are built.

Steps also have to meet two fixed points: the ground at the bottom and the door threshold at the top. Neither one moves to suit the concrete, so the layout works backward from the threshold and divides the total height into risers that come out even.

What goes underneath

Steps put a lot of weight on a small footprint, and they sit right where water comes off a roof and a door. That combination is why so many stoops settle and pull away from the house.

The support underneath is built for that load: digging down to firm ground, a compacted base, and reinforcement that ties the flight together so it acts as one piece. Where a stoop meets the house, an isolation joint keeps the two from dragging on each other as the ground moves.

Drainage is the other half. The landing slopes slightly away from the door so water runs off instead of standing at the threshold. A stoop that holds water at the door causes trouble for the door and frame long before it causes trouble for the concrete, and a downspout that empties onto the landing should be redirected while the work is happening.

Replacing steps that have failed

Most step replacement comes from one of three problems. The flight has settled and separated from the house, leaving a gap and an uneven first step. The surface has scaled, with the top layer flaking off to leave rough aggregate and crumbling edges. Or the treads have cracked through.

Scaling is often blamed on salt used for ice, and the mix and the finishing matter just as much. The NRMCA guide to scaling lists concrete without enough entrained air and insufficient curing among the main causes, and the American Concrete Pavement Association notes that properly air entrained concrete has excellent resistance to surface scaling from freezing and thawing. Once a surface starts to scale it keeps going, and a thin topping over it rarely holds.

Where the old flight comes out, the base underneath is rebuilt too. A new flight sitting on the same ground that let the last one settle will follow it. Removal and haul off of the old steps is part of that scope.

Handrails, edges and finish

If a handrail is going on, decide before the pour. Rail posts can be set into the concrete during the pour, or the flight can be built to take surface mounted posts afterward, and the two are different jobs. Deciding after the concrete cures limits the options and usually means drilling.

A broom finish across the treads is standard, since steps are where grip matters most in rain. NRMCA's finishing guide calls for an edging tool to give durable rounded edges, which keeps the front of each step from chipping at the first knock.

Caring for new steps

New steps need the same care as any new concrete. The NRMCA scaling guide advises against deicing chemicals during the first winter and suggests considering a breathable sealer, so use sand for traction if ice forms early and seal once the concrete has dried.

Steps rarely stand alone. They usually connect to a walkway out to the driveway or a back patio, and planning those together keeps the elevations and drainage working as one. Step work is offered in Norfolk and across the Hampton Roads service area.