How to Rebuild Cement Stairs

Use the jackhammer or angle grinder to cut away and remove the damaged cement. Save the pieces of cement chunks to use as fill later.

Construct forms where the new stair treads will be poured out of scrap lumber the height and length of the step riser. Use a power drill and screws to connect the lumber and angle them so that the tread slopes slightly away from your house; about 1/8th inch per foot.

Spray WD-40 lubricant on the side of the form that will face the cement to make it easier to pull away when the cement sets. Wedge the forms between cinder blocks for extra support. Glue ½-inch asphalt isolation boards onto the old cement with construction adhesive. This will keep the old cement from cracking under the new cement.

Pour a base of gravel and cover it with clean rock fill that you gathered when you cut apart the original stairs. The rock fill should sit a few inches below the cement you'll be pouring.

Mix the cement according to the directions on the bag by adding water slowly to the mix. Mix it in a wheelbarrow with a hoe. Shovel the cement into the forms so it sits just above the form. Tamp it down as you fill the step from time to time with a board to flatten it out and remove pockets of air. Pass a trowel and hand float over the cement to smooth it out.

Run an edging trowel between the form and the edge of the new steps to round out the edges and keep them from chipping. Brush the top of the wet cement with a broom to roughen it before it dries. This will create a texture on the surface of the cement so it won't be slippery when wet.

Spray the surface of the cement with water and cover it with plastic so it can cure. Lay the plastic over the cement and place cinder blocks to the side to hold it down. Over the first week, lift off the plastic and re-spray the cement a few times. Remove the plastic and wooden forms after one week's time.