It's Time to Learn How to Build Concrete Steps that Look Professionally Installed so That You Can Create Your Own Attractive & Safe Stairways.

I am truly determined to show you how to build concrete steps on your own so that you can take your concrete construction skills to the next level.

Please pay close attention to the steps (no pun intended, hehe) below.

Did you know that you can get prefab concrete steps that are low in cost and of very high quality? They have come a long way over the past 20 years.

Ok, let's get back to pouring them on our own.

Step 1: Project Functional Planning

The following considerations need to be thought-out prior to even thinking of mixing concrete so as to avoid wastes of time, costs, and labor.

Proper headroom needs to be present for ease of travel

Since the stairs will be outside, you must be sure to adhere to your state & local building codes for exterior concrete steps.

The length and width of the stairway need to be carefully "designed" so that existing constructed structures to not have to be removed or modified to facilitate your new concrete steps.

Step 2: Project Form Planning

No matter how fancy the steps are that you intend to build, there are simply two components to every concrete step - a tread (horizontal) and a riser (vertical). A flight of stairs is merely a number of steps between levels of a structure.

The last portion of planning involve deciding on the aesthetics (the form) of the stairs you intend to build. Always remember that form follows function - therefore, exterior steps to a porch do not necessarily have to be architectural masterpieces to be adequately functional.

Step 3: Stair Tread and Riser Sizing & Quantities

As we move further into how to build concrete steps, we next measure the grade-to-floor height so that you can determine the needed number of treads and risers for your soon-to-come concrete stairs.

Typically, you do not want to exceed a 7 inch riser height because it would just become uncomfortable to walk up and down deeper steps than that. Keep in mind, for exterior steps, please review your local building code for exterior step requirements.

Divide your grade-to-floor height by the height of each riser (i.e. a 6" riser + a 3" tread for a 12 foot floor-to-floor height would equate to (12'x 12" per foot) /(9" riser + tread total height -) = 144" / 9" --> 16 risers and 15 treads are needed for your concrete stairway- you always have one less tread than riser.

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