Crumbling concrete porch steps and crummy porch
#1
03-23-11, 09:37 AM
Crumbling concrete porch steps and crummy porch
Hey there,
Long time lurker (great info on this forum), first post.
Long story short, my concrete porch is crummy. The most pressing problem is that the steps are basically crumbling and falling apart. (pic attached) Chunks of a concrete patch applied by the previous owner are literally falling off, so I need to do something about that.
So my first question is: what's the best way to address this?
As a separate issue, the porch in general could use some work. It's in OK shape, but not great. You can see from the pics it has a million coats of paint on it that are chipping off. I think it would ultimately be great to finish the porch with some kind of slate-like tile, but that's a ways off -- I want to make sure that this thing is structurally set before worrying about cosmetics.
The biggest issue I can see is the porch is slightly uneven in places, even sloping ever so slightly toward the house at some points (see pic - you can see some discoloration where a bit of water can collect where the porch meets the house, sorry for bad quality).
Second question: what is the best way to fix these irregularities in the level of the porch, and correct this slight drainage issue? Could I apply (or have a pro apply, if it's too involved) some type of leveling compound, then build a slight slope afterward? Is there any saving this porch or will it need to be repoured to sort out these issues?
Thanks a lot!
Long time lurker (great info on this forum), first post.
Long story short, my concrete porch is crummy. The most pressing problem is that the steps are basically crumbling and falling apart. (pic attached) Chunks of a concrete patch applied by the previous owner are literally falling off, so I need to do something about that.
So my first question is: what's the best way to address this?
As a separate issue, the porch in general could use some work. It's in OK shape, but not great. You can see from the pics it has a million coats of paint on it that are chipping off. I think it would ultimately be great to finish the porch with some kind of slate-like tile, but that's a ways off -- I want to make sure that this thing is structurally set before worrying about cosmetics.
The biggest issue I can see is the porch is slightly uneven in places, even sloping ever so slightly toward the house at some points (see pic - you can see some discoloration where a bit of water can collect where the porch meets the house, sorry for bad quality).
Second question: what is the best way to fix these irregularities in the level of the porch, and correct this slight drainage issue? Could I apply (or have a pro apply, if it's too involved) some type of leveling compound, then build a slight slope afterward? Is there any saving this porch or will it need to be repoured to sort out these issues?
Thanks a lot!
#2
03-31-11, 05:44 PM
On the stoop, whatever is lose has to be removed. So there is some chopping to be done there. It's too bad everything was painted.
Is the porch sinking? I have a feeling that it wasn't always pitched towards the house. Why were some of the bricks painted?
Is the porch sinking? I have a feeling that it wasn't always pitched towards the house. Why were some of the bricks painted?
#3
04-14-11, 09:17 AM
Thanks for the reply.
I removed all of the crumbling concrete from the front step, so now I think at least a patching job is imminent.
As far as the rest of the porch though, I'm still wondering how to address that. I'm not sure if it is sinking or how to really determine that. The concrete or whatever material that makes up the base of the porch extends all the way down into my basement, where it ends up being the "ceiling." I'm not sure if it's dipping significntly - I'd have to check that. If so, is this a really bad thing or can it be propped up at all from underneath?
Yes, the bricks are painted, I assume, because the originals probably sustained some water damage from the small pool of water that tends to sit there.
I removed all of the crumbling concrete from the front step, so now I think at least a patching job is imminent.
As far as the rest of the porch though, I'm still wondering how to address that. I'm not sure if it is sinking or how to really determine that. The concrete or whatever material that makes up the base of the porch extends all the way down into my basement, where it ends up being the "ceiling." I'm not sure if it's dipping significntly - I'd have to check that. If so, is this a really bad thing or can it be propped up at all from underneath?
Yes, the bricks are painted, I assume, because the originals probably sustained some water damage from the small pool of water that tends to sit there.
