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Hello, I am looking to fix some concrete steps, over the last 12 months they have really started to crack. I am a newbie to DIY - so any thoughts much appreciated!
What are the steps i would need to take to fix this?
Here are some photos:
Thank you!
Hi @AlisonM,
It sounds like the cracking you're seeing could be caused by the staircase sinking or settling unevenly, most likely on the outer edge. This is actually pretty common with outdoor concrete steps, especially if the soil underneath wasn't properly compacted, or if there's been a lot of water movement over time.
The real fix for this would involve stabilising the stairs and ideally lifting them back into the correct position. This is something that would need to be done by a professional who specialises in concrete lifting or underpinning. They would typically drill small holes into the concrete and either pump in a grout mixture (called mudjacking) or use a polyurethane foam injection to lift and support the slab properly.
Since you've mentioned that the cracks have been getting worse over the past year, I would really recommend addressing the underlying issue rather than just patching the surface. If the movement continues, any patch repairs you make are likely to just crack again.
You could fill the crack with a mortar repair product as a short-term cosmetic fix, but it’s worth noting that it may not hold for long if the stairs continue to move. Also, filling the gap now could potentially make it harder and more costly to lift and realign the stairs properly later, because the solid fill material would have to be broken out first.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
