Outdoor Step Ideas

Natural Stone

• If you are looking for outdoor step ideas for a natural landscape, use natural stone materials. Natural stones can create attractive landscaped outdoor staircases for long walkways and steep terrain. You can add curved walkways that feature several flat, scenic landings that will give you and your guests resting and viewing spots. Some of the most common types of natural stones used in these types of projects include river rocks and quartz boulders.

Brick and Concrete

• Homeowners looking to add steps off their front or back porches can use brick or concrete materials. These types of outdoor step materials work well with traditional and formal-style houses. If you want to use brick, choose a color that matches the rest of your house. If you want to use concrete, you have several material choices. For example, you can use regular concrete pavement for projects with small budgets. If you want a more decorative style, use stained or stamped concrete. These styles go well with modern home designs.

Wood

• Wood is another outdoor step option. This building material works well when used with a wood deck, such as a backyard redwood deck. Another cost-efficient option is using railroad ties, which may also be ideal if you're looking to add different landing levels. However, be aware that this type of outdoor step material is at risk of rotting and will need to be replaced eventually.

Step Lighting

• After choosing your outdoor step building material, you'll need to think about adding step lighting features. According to My Backyard Projects, step lighting helps add style and safety to your new steps. Choose from step lights that are mounted flush into your step risers or light fixtures that are mounted on the sides of the steps. Some people add handrails with lighting or even install post lighting at the entrance of the steps. Choose lighting fixtures that will create a soft glow in the step area, rather than lights that feature a flood of light.