Summary: Concrete steps are considered to be one of the most interesting concrete projects and they are usually made to add beauty to any concrete work. The versatility of concrete steps is that they can fit into any landscape. Amongst other concrete projects, building concrete steps is considered to be the easiest project. You are not required to hire a concrete company to do it. You can easily make concrete steps by yourself only. Building a concrete steps doesn’t require experts, it can be made by a novice as well.

The two basic things that are required in order to make concrete steps are concrete mix and wooden blocks. It is up to you whether you want to use a pre-mixed concrete or you want to make mixed concrete yourself. Concrete mix can be purchase from any concrete supplier. It will take away the headache of mixing the concrete yourself. However, if you want to experiment with the mixing of concrete then you can easily do so. Most of us know that concrete is a moistened mixture of three vital components; cement, crushed stones and sand with an approximate ratio of 1-4-2.

In order to make concrete, you have to mix them in proper proportions. If you are not an expert in doing this mixing then you have the option of buying pre-mixed concrete that is readily available today. If you buy a pre-mixed concrete then you only have to add water into it in order to make it usable.
Now let’s discuss the steps involved in the making of concrete steps. After successfully mixing the concrete, if you are not interesting in buying a pre-mixed concrete, follow these steps.

· Make sure that you have all the things that will be required during your concrete project. The list varies from project to project, however, for the sake of information, these are the general things required for starting your concrete project

1   Tools like shovel, rake etc
2   Carpenter’s tool like string, level, tape ruler, saw, hammer
3   Cement tools like mixing box, power mixer trowel etc.
4   Sand or gravel
5   Double headed nails
6   Plywood ( 5 Ply would be sufficient)
7   Oil , could be motor oil
8   Lumber for sakes and forms etc

· After you have ensured that you have all necessary tools and other concrete project stuff, then you can make a go.

· The next step is to remove any existing steps. While removing existing steps, you should take necessary precautions as well like using protections for your eyes, head etc. You should also wear gloves while doing this work.

· Steps designing: the first step after demolishing any existing steps is to design the steps. The design of the step solely depends on your liking but you should take care of three important points. Height of each step should remain the same, let’s say 8 inches. The depth of each step should also remains the same for every step, let’s say 12 inches and if you are making the steps for the purpose of landing then it should be 3 feet deep at least.

· After you have planned your design, the next step would be to prepare the base. First, level the ground that is in front of your door where you are intending to build steps. Remove any debris from there and remove any grass roots from there. The area should be cleared from any organic matter.

· Dig the surface about 6 inches. Then use gravel or sand, whatever you like, to fill maximum of 4 inches in order to bring the area at a uniform state. The target here is to make a strong, hard, firm base free from debris.

· After you have prepared the base, the next step would be to build the form. This is one of the most exciting phases of concrete projects. For building the form, use. For the side forms, ½ inch sheets of plywood. Cut the plywood according to the desired dimensions of the steps. Always allow extra depth to the forms.

· Drive 2” * 4”stakes and allow only half inch between the side of the steps and the stakes; hence providing enough space for the plywood form. You can use carpenter tools like levels to keep the sides as vertical as possible. Nail the side forms to the stakes and then brace all stakes that you have used.

· The inside of all form surfaces should be coated with oil. You can use motor oil as well. It will help in removing the form easily later in the end stages.

· After you have made the form, then pour the concrete after estimating the amount of concrete required. Try to overfill the forms up to a little extent. Use a shovel in order to remove any air bubbles or pockets. Work the mix that you have made all around the rubble.

· After you have spread the mix and have filled all the forms then comes the process of strike off and float. In order to strike off, use a 2”* 4” stake and use it back and forth to create a motion like a saw to smooth the concrete. You can then use darby (a smooth board) to fill any voids and to level the ridges.

· According to most concrete manufacturers, concrete reaches almost 98% of its strength after 28 days of its pouring. Let the concrete dry for at least 7 days after its pouring. Don’t forget to properly cover the concrete. Proper covering concrete prevents it from factors that resist it from getting properly dried. Concrete should not dry quickly because the more quickly it dries, the weaker it will be. The more time it will take in drying, the harder and stronger it will be.

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