How to Break Up Concrete Stairs

Concrete stairs add a strong sense of permanency to a home’s exterior decor, yet they may not always have the exact style you want for your home. There are many types of concrete stairs and steps that can be found attached to a home’s front porch or a back door leading to the patio. Removing the stairs to add a different style of concrete step or to create a wooden set is a difficult job that requires strength and the proper tools.

Diamond-bladed circular saw
Sledgehammer
Leather work gloves
Broom
Dustpan
Safety goggles

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the concrete steps into 1-foot-square sections with a diamond-bladed hand-held circular saw. The blade must be set at a depth of 1 to 2 inches, depending on whether the lip on the stairs is 1 or 2 inches deep.
- 2
  Remove any loose sections by hand. Wear thick leather work gloves to protect your fingers from embedding concrete fragments in your skin.
- 3
  Pound the remaining concrete stair sections with a sledgehammer. Aim for the middle of the section to break the pieces evenly and remove the bond of the concrete with the base. Remove the larger broken pieces by hand.
- 4
  Remove any sand or debris created by pounding the concrete stair with a sledgehammer. The smaller bits might need to be removed with a broom and dustpan if they are not large enough for removal by hand.
- 5
  Repeat the process of cutting and pounding until the entire set of stairs is removed.

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