How to Build Wood Over Cement Stairs

Attaching wood boards to the top of concrete stairs makes a stairway feel more homey, more rustic and insulates it from the damp and cool of concrete stairs. Wood boards can be installed on basement steps, outdoor steps and any location where concrete stairs were once considered a good idea but are no longer. The wood used in these situations should be thick and treated to protect it from the wetness and dampness of concrete, particularly in areas that are underground. Any size of lumber may be used, but the most practical and inexpensive option is used for this project.

Tape measure
Treated 1-by-4 boards
Saw
Hammer drill
Wood drill bits
Masonry drill bits
3-inch masonry screws

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width of the stairs using a tape measure. Transfer that measurement to a treated 1-by-4 board. Cut the board just slightly less than that measurement using a saw. Drill holes every 12 inches into the center of the large surface of this board using a drill and wood drill bit. Position the board on the stairs and cut out more boards until the top of the bottom stair is covered. Drill similar holes in these boards as well.
- 2
  Turn the hammer drill to the hammer setting on its highest power. Drill down through each of the holes in the stair boards, drilling just deep enough to mark the concrete surface. Remove the stair boards after all the screw holes have been marked.
- 3
  Drill into each marking with the hammer drill, making each hole slightly more than 2 inches deep. Use a drill bit that is visibly smaller than the masonry screws you will be using. Back out the drill bit a few times on each hole to get the cement rubble out of the hole and let the drill bit cool off. Replace masonry drill bits when the drill stops progressing into the hole noticeably.
- 4
  Reposition the stair boards over the holes so that the board holds and the stair holes line up perfectly. Set 3-inch masonry screws in each hole and tighten the screws completely with the hammer drill. Tighten the screws until the screw head is flush with the upper surface of the stair board.

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