How easy is it to lay brick steps?

[AilsW1]

I’m pulling up old decking and replacing with pavers. Unfortunately it creates a big step down from the back door to the ground level. Is building a few brick steps a difficult task for someone who has never done it? 

[AlanM52]

Hello @AilsW1,

It would be difficult task for you but more to the point it's simply not worth the prepping cost to lay a few brick steps.

I strongly recommend you use the same pavers to make your steps.

Come back with some photos and the paver size.

We may also be using timber sleepers.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?page=1&q=treated+pine+timber+sleepers&sort=BoostOrder

and sleeper stakes.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?page=1&q=sleeper+stakes&sort=BoostOrder

Cheers

[JacobZ]

Hi @AilsW1,

The act of bricklaying is pretty simple but doing it well and doing it fast is definitely an art form. If you have a look at YouTube, there will be countless examples of brick structures being built. If you keep it simple, I think you'd be able to achieve it.

How big a step down are we talking about here? 

If it were something like 300mm and you needed to add, let's say, two steps, I don't think you'd have any trouble, but if it were anything over 600mm, it would be quite a task.

What is the ground surface currently? Is it bare earth, or a concrete pad?

Any bricklaying job needs to start with a stable base. This can be created by adding a compactible material such as road base and then compacting it with a tamper. Check out How To Lay a Base For Pavers, which is much the same process you'd use here. If you had a concrete pad, this would not be necessary. 

Once the base is in place, it would just be a case of mixing up some mortar, applying it to the base with a brick trowel as a bed for the initial course of bricks, putting your bricks in place, getting them straight and level using a spirit level, then working your way up to the desired height.

Alternatively, you could use some sleepers to create a small retaining structure, fill it with road base, tamp it down and lay pavers over the top, like @AlanM52 has mentioned.

Let us know what you think and if you have further details you can add, or questions you might have, please don't hesitate to add them.

Jacob

[AilsW1]

Thank you so much for your reply. It fills me with a little bit of confidence that I can maybe do this. The drop down from the door would be about 500-600cm. It currently would be dirt it’s going onto and the steps would then have a paved path that extends from it. 
I hadn’t thought about the other things you mentioned, like the preparation of the ground etc. I really appreciate your detailed explanation. And I kind of think, if I stuff it up I can get someone in to do the job for me, regards Ails

[JacobZ · Accepted solution]

Hi @AilsW1,

Typically, you'd want steps to be around 600mm wide, with the rise of each step between 150-180mm, so you would need 3 steps up to the door. Each tread should be about 250-300mm deep, to allow an average foot to have plenty of room to fit on it.

Maybe you could create your base, which would need to be about 600mm x 900mm, then dry stack your bricks to see what you think.

If you aren't so confident, then you could always get a bricklayer in do the final part and mortar it all together.

Let us know what you think.

Jacob

[AilsW1]

 

 

 

Hi Alan I should have said that the steps are going to be done with pavers and not bricks 🙄

Here is a photo of the pavers and the back door where they will be layed. The height from the back door to the ground level is about the height of two pavers standing long ways. 

[AilsW1]

Hey Jacob please see reply I just posted to Alan, with photos. Thank you ☺️ 

[JacobZ]

Hi @AilsW1,

Assuming the ground beneath the deck is approximately level, then I'd say your estimated step down of around 500mm would be pretty close. When you can get to the ground directly beneath the door, you might even find that 2 steps with rises around 166mm high would be enough.

How far in the future are you planning on removing the deck?

I'd be happy to assist along the way.

Jacob

[AilsW1]

Hi Jacob I want to pull the decking up and dismantle the pergola at the same time. Would love to chat with you about some help as I’m physically unable to do it myself. Are you able to contact me? 

[AilsW1]

Jacob I have another question. Can you please tell me if the flooring I have is laminate with underlay or a hybrid type of bamboo flooring?