The concrete steps leading up to our front door were in serious need of a makeover. The carpet was frayed and brittle and the concrete was crumbling underneath. Plus, a step was added but never carpeted so the steps don’t even look uniform. They definitely needed some TLC.
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Here’s a good look at our front steps before I started this project. Not only was the carpet gross looking, but I had to regularly sweep away the little crumbles of concrete that made their way through the rips in the carpet. Plus, that top non-carpeted step just looked awkward!
I’ve planned on tackling this project for a long time, but I’ll admit it felt pretty intimidating! I have never worked with concrete in any form before and was unsure how the steps would turn out, but I was encouraged to give it a try after seeing the success this blogger and this blogger had patching concrete steps at their houses.
So, as I began working on our entire front patio makeover and curb appeal projects, I took a deep breath and plunged into the front step project. The first step: rip off all that old carpet!
Remove Old Carpet
The carpet tore off really easily. Only one corner took some muscle to pull off, but the rest wasn’t glued down well at all. I used a knife to cut the carpet into smaller chunks as I went, and pliers gave me a good grip as I pulled up the pieces.
As I removed the carpet, I began to get nervous! I knew the concrete was crumbling underneath, but I had no idea how bad! There were a couple spots where large chunks of concrete had broken off.
Although I was skeptical I could DIY a repair for these steps, I found comfort in telling myself there was no harm trying. The supplies aren’t expensive and I could always recarpet the steps if I really messed up.
Supplies For Patching Concrete Steps
- Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher
- Quikrete bonding adhesive
- Trowel
- Wire Brush
- Cheap Paintbrush
- Paint Scraper
- Hose With Spray Nozzle
- Bucket (for mixing paint in)
- Rustoleum’s Deck & Concrete Restore paint
Feeling determined to spruce up these steps before we listed our house for sale this summer, I set out to attempt patching our front steps.
Clean Cracks
I used a wire brush, a cheap paintbrush and a paint scraper to remove the loose dust and debris. Then I turned my hose nozzle to the highest pressure stream I could get and blasted water into all the crevices. This loosened more concrete chunks!
Mix & Apply Concrete Patcher
I used Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher for this project, mixed with bonding adhesive per the package instructions.
I’m really sorry, but apparently, I forgot to take pictures as I did this project! That’s basically a blogging sin, but I’m going to blame it on the 90-degree weather and pregnancy brain ;).
I used a paint stirrer to mix the concrete and bonding adhesive in an old plastic pail. I mixed small amounts at a time so I’d be able to use it up before it started drying. I bought a little trowel from Home Depot, which worked well for both scooping concrete from the bucket onto the steps and smoothing the concrete as it was applied.
Since a few of my cracks were really deep, I did this project over the course of a week so I could allow layers of new concrete to fully dry before adding more. The actual act of applying the concrete went pretty fast, though! I had no idea what I was really doing but concentrated on building the steps back to their original shape. I used an old 2×4 board as a form along the sides of the steps to help hold the concrete in place while it dried.
My concrete job isn’t perfect if you look at it closely, but overall it was a mega improvement from the old carpet! I’m so happy I went ahead with my plan of patching concrete steps. This was an affordable project that made such a big impact!
Allow To Cure & Then Paint
Once the concrete was completely dry, I painted a coat Rustoleum’s Deck & Concrete Restore paint in the Granite color. This paint is specially designed for concrete patios. It is super thick so it fills in hairline cracks and provides durable coverage. I was very happy that it only took one coat to cover the steps! I used a paint roller for most of it with a smaller brush for the edges. `
Don’t these steps look a million times better?! This project was easier than I expected and made a huge impact to our curb appeal.
First impressions are everything, and I am so happy prospective buyers are greeted with a pretty entrance into the house instead of concrete crumbles and brittle carpet.
To top things off, I gave the worn out welcome mat a makeover, too! You can see that quick and simple project tutorial here.Â
Have a lovely day!
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. For more information, see my disclosures here.
