What to Use to Put Brick on Stairs

Mortar Mixer

• A mortar mixer is a drill attachment that spins around the mortar and stirs it, much like a blade in a blender. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for blending the mortar. The drill attachment should come with instructions, including the recommended drills to use. To ensure that the mortar is properly mixed and to avoid damage to your drill, only use the type of drill recommended by the manufacturer.

Protective Clothing

• Protect your lungs from mortar dust and protect your skin from wet mortar. As you mix mortar, wear safety goggles and a dust mask. When working with wet mortar, wear heavy work gloves, work clothes and boots. If, during the process, your skin contacts wet mortar, wash it off your skin immediately.

Mortar

• Like a glue, mortar is used to adhere the brick to the surface of the stairs. Mortar begins in a dust form and is mixed with water to create a rough, muddy substance that dries to a surface that feels as hard and rough as rock. Mortar comes in different types and has varying properties suitable for different building projects. Use type M or type S for the mortar on stairs.

Brick

• Brick pavers come in different widths and sizes for different projects. You'll need to plan the layout of your brick stairs before beginning work on them. Calculate the number of bricks you'll need in order to cover the stairs then purchase additional bricks of each size in case you need them for repairs later on.

Trowel

• A trowel is used to smear the bricks with mortar, scrape off any excess mortar from the joints and remove mortar from the face of the bricks. Trowels come in different sizes and widths for different purposes. If you've never mortared bricks before, you may want to purchase a few different sizes so you can choose which trowel will work best for you during the installation process.

Cement Steps

• Cement steps are the foundation for brick stairways. You should only pave cement stairs that are solid and straight, free of cracks and wear. Paving stairs made of less durable material may result in the cracking or collapse of the stairs, creating more work in the future to repair them.

Stiff Brush

• Clean the bricks with a bucket of water and a stiff brush one week after you've paved the steps. Use the brush to remove any excess mortar dust and unwanted chunks of mortar that may remain on the face of the brick.