How do I fix this concrete step?

[Tom Sestito]

Need some advise on fixing these steps. The previous owner painted over the concrete so they looked good for awhile, but now after a few freeze/thaw cycles the paint is peeling and looking bad. Not to mention the concrete underneath is flaking/chipped in quite a few places.

I think I need to grind it all off and patch up where the concrete has chipped and then re-coat with something.

I'd like to not paint them again, so I need advice on what to do to make them look good.

Main questions are:
1. What do I use to grind it with?
2. What product to re-coat?

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=883467&stc=1&d=1555249610


https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=883468&stc=1&d=1555249610

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=883469&stc=1&d=1555249610

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=883470&stc=1&d=1555249610

 

[turbowoodworker]

Flagstone? Tile?

 

[tarbellb]

Grinder w/ wire wheel, then if needed do a flood coat of self leveling concrete.

I would go with a epoxy based product for final finish.

 

[dogdog]

skim coat?

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/s...ing/how-to-patch-and-resurface-concrete-steps

 

[Tom Sestito]

I live in an area where we go from -30C to +30C so I'm concerned about freeze/thaw cycle wrecking any work that I do to fix this.
Would an epoxy finish be up to that?

 

[patterg2003]

I live just east of the MB-ON border where they salt the highways and streets. The salt is hard on concrete if the concrete is not placed as concrete resistant. Ice melter products usually contain salt and is really hard on normal concrete steps. Salt will pop the concrete surfaces and they will get really rough over time. Moisture works into the concrete and expands as vapour to lift the paint. Commercial concrete products like pavers and side walk slabs here are all resistant to salt. New concrete for drives, sidewalks, steps etc should be spec'd as freeze and salt resistant.
I would recommend using a high pressure power washer that is in the 4000 psi range as the first step to remove all the loose paint and concrete. A gas powered high power washer probably could be rented from Home Depot rentals or a rental store. That will save hours with a wire wheel. You may want to drape heavy plastic to protect the stucco & door then lean plywood against the stucco walls and wrap the pillar with 6 mil poly. This will prevent millions of bits of paint and dirt embedding in the stucco. The commercial solution would be to mask everything off and do a sandblast. The surfaces ideally have to be clean and free of paint to apply concrete patch and a new coating. Home Hardware has a Beauti-Tone granite paint that is a salt resistant concrete paint that breathes so that moisture can escape as a vapour. The paint also adds traction. https://www.homehardware.ca/en/378l-fox-grey-granite-coating/p/1817831
Winnipeg has Brock White branch that supplies construction products to contractors with a lot of concrete specialties. You may get some guidance with a visit there. I use the Thunder Bay branch and they have been good to me.
Home Hardware, Home Depot or B-W may recommend a product that is dual purpose in that it could be used as a patch & a skim coat that may resurface and provide a maintenance free surface. I would lean towards B-W as their products are commercial & industrial for a better solution.

 

[rsanter]

Blast it or grind it...
Then tile over it

 

[duc916]

A decent power washer will take most of that off , less dust and mess than grinding all of it.

 

[Tom Sestito]

Thanks patterg. Power washer sounds like the best option. I’ll look into what B-W has for coatings. Appreciate the reply!

For those recommending tile - would never work because of the freeze thaw cycle.

 

[James-W]

About 20 years ago I helped a buddy of mine who had a concrete front porch that was roughly 4ft by 12ft and there were 4 steps going down from the porch to the walkway leading from the sidewalk to his house.

He had someone come in with a jackhammer and break up the concrete, then haul it away. I helped him build a wood porch and wood steps. We made it from treated wood and cedar. Personally, I think the wood looked better than the concrete, but to be fair about this, I never saw the concrete when it was in good condition. I only saw it when it looked terrible so I am probably not the right person to say what looked better, the wood or the concrete.

I only mention this to say that you do have other options for repairing this. If you are set on repairing what you have, then just disregard what I said. Otherwise you might want to check into different ways of doing this besides patching the old concrete.

 

[The Cobbler]

if the concrete step is effervescing anything you do is a temporary fix .
to me it looks like it is .

 

[Tom Sestito]

About 20 years ago I helped a buddy of mine who had a concrete front porch that was roughly 4ft by 12ft and there were 4 steps going down from the porch to the walkway leading from the sidewalk to his house.

Yes that is a definite option we are looking at. For now we are just trying to find an easy(ish) solution.

This step is a solid block concrete, built in 1940. I'm not really wanting to smash it up LOL

 

[rustyjames]

If it's just paint I would try some paint remover first.