Content

• Steps
• What do you need

Constructing concrete stairs is not the most suitable activity for a beginner. It requires a certain amount of experience in mixing and pouring concrete. You will also have to do quite a lot of math calculations (mostly simple geometry). In addition, this project requires hard physical labor. But if you build it right, you get a real work of art that, with normal use, will last forever.

Steps

1. 1 Calculate the dimensions of the stairs. The staircase consists of steps, risers and treads, the part that you actually step on. Calculate the rise, the height from one floor to the next. This will be the total height of the stairs. Measure the horizontal distance the ladder will extend. Calculate the width of each rung from left to right where the stairs will go.Divide the height by 18.4 to find out how many steps you have to make. The height obtained is fairly typical for stairs. To get an even value, you may need to divide the value not exactly by 18.4, but by a slightly smaller or slightly larger number. The main thing is to make sure that by taking much more than 18.4, the resulting dimensions would not violate building codes.
   • Use the online ladder calculator to calculate and create a diagram.
   • Let's say you want to build a concrete staircase from a settled living room. With a total vertical height of 38.1 cm, we get two steps, each 19.05 cm high. The horizontal length of the ladder may vary. The length of the tread should be about 28 cm or more so that a medium-sized leg fits comfortably on it. The number of treads required will always be one less than the number of steps. If we take our hypothetical ladder, then we get one 19.05 cm tread.
2. 2 Calculate the dimensions of the stair foundation. When building a concrete staircase, you will need a foundation: a concrete block poured several centimeters below floor level (check building codes). The dimensions of the foundation are equal to the footprint of the stairs. To calculate the footprint, take the total length of the concrete block and the total width of the stairs as the block width.
3. 3 Build the formwork. Formwork can be made from plywood or lumber. It can also be made from leftover or low-grade wood. First of all, you will need to cut out the side formwork based on the tread calculations and the dimensions of the steps. They must adhere securely to the foundation of the ladder. The new staircase must be connected to the foundation so that the construction seam is not visible. Add wood blocks every 30.5 cm along the outer surface of the formwork. They are needed so that the concrete does not pour out of the mold when it will be poured. Then nail in the boards that form the front of the steps. The width of these boards should be equal to the height of the steps. Depending on the width of the ladder, you may need to add fasteners to the center of each step. Make sure the formwork is not tilted before proceeding to the next step.
4. 4 Mix the concrete. You can mix the concrete for the stairs by hand or use a portable mixer. If you decide to knead it by hand, you must understand that the process of building a concrete staircase itself is not a job that you can do yourself. If you ask a friend for help, be prepared to return a favor, and not a small one! You can purchase a ready-made solution and simply add water to it, or buy each component of the solution separately. When mixing concrete, you will need 22.2 liters of water for one bag of cement.
5. 5 Pouring concrete. Although this part does not require any direction from me (since you cannot be called a beginner if you have come this far) ... it can be called the basis of the entire project. Start at the bottom and pour one step at a time. After pouring the concrete, you should spread it evenly. Use a spatula or rod to remove air bubbles from the concrete.
6. 6 Final touches. When constructing a staircase, there are a number of ways at your disposal that you can achieve the smoothness of your steps. Take a concrete screed slightly longer than the width of the stairs and run it up and down the steps to remove excess concrete from the tread. Use a scraper to level the surface. A grater is a small wooden tool with a handle on top. Take an iron trowel for an even smoother finish. A trowel is very similar to a trowel, but unlike it, it has a smooth iron surface, with which you will much better smooth out the steps and remove air bubbles.
7. 7 Wait and wet. After smoothing the surface, keep the concrete wet for a week.You can cover the stairs with wet burlap or cover the stairs tightly with plastic wrap. In addition, you should also apply a fresh concrete maintenance compound to the stairs. This step is very important. If left in air, the relative humidity of the concrete will drop dramatically. If it drops below 80%, chemical reactions in the concrete can stop. If this happens, the concrete will only receive a fraction of its strength. After a week, the concrete will take its final shape, and you can remove the wooden formwork. The concrete will continue to dry for another month. If you plan to paint the stairs after building (which is very popular these days), you should allow the concrete to dry for 30 days so that the paint will adhere better to the surface.

What do you need

• Shovel
• Wheelbarrow
• Wooden formwork
• A hammer
• Nails
• Concrete mixer
• Components for concrete (cement, gravel or crushed stone, water, sand)
• Ready concrete mortar
• Rack for leveling concrete mix
• Trowel