How to Replace Porch Steps

Porches are a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by or to grill a delicious lunch or dinner. Because porches are exposed to the weather 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they can become brittle or rotted over time. If you have such a porch with steps that need to be replaced, a can-do spirit and a little elbow grease is all you'll need, along with a few common tools.

Goggles
Dust mask
Circular saw
Pry bar
Claw hammer
Tape measure
Lumber
Nails

Instructions

- 1
  Wearing gloves and a dust mask, take a look at the steps from eye level to find where the steps are fastened to the wooden risers.
- 2
  Place the blade of a circular saw on top of the damaged step, a few inches inside the riser. Saw into the wood step, going parallel with the step until you nearly reach the riser on the opposite side. Remove the saw and place aside.
- 3
  Wedge a pry bar into the cut and pry upward to dislodge one half of the step, breaking it lengthways. Then, pry up the other side, exposing the risers on either side. Discard the old step.
- 4
  Pull any nails protruding out of the risers with a claw hammer. Measure the gap between the remaining steps, as well as the width of the steps.
- 5
  Purchase lumber planks equal to the gap between the steps at a lumber yard or home improvement store. This is typically 1-by-4 inch or 1- by-5 inch planks.
- 6
  Cut the replacement plank to fit the steps' width with a circular saw. Drop the replacement plank into place and fasten with a hammer and nails.

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