Our concrete staircase has partially frozen and broken this past winter, so we have to repair it before next winter. After reading a lot here on the forum, I've concluded that I should knock off as much loose material as possible and then apply new concrete. When I started knocking off loose pieces, I noticed that it seems the staircase consists of some mix of stones (a few cm in size) and SAND and only the outer shell of about 2-3 cm is concrete. Could that be the case? This means that if I wanted, I could probably break the entire staircase when I hit where the concrete has come loose. And I don't even have to hit very hard, but it doesn't fall off by itself either. So now I'm wondering how much I should knock off. Is it enough with what I can remove with a wire brush and a little that you can clearly see is loose, or should I hit a bit harder with a hammer until nothing comes off anymore at the risk of half the staircase crumbling? I don't want to break the staircase, of course, but I'm also wondering if it's worth applying new concrete on that stone-sand mix or if it will just fall off again.
It's in two places. One place is just the corner on the side, so there's probably no problem there. It's not exposed directly either. The other place is on a step, a surface maybe 30-40cm wide by 15cm (viewed from above) and in one spot a little down the side. I assume what's missing is between 2 and 4 cm thick. I'll see if I can insert a picture later, but I don't think you can see very well in the picture how big it is.
Hi..
How did it go for you with the stairs? I have exactly the same problem and am wondering what to do. Does your repair seem to hold?
I've hired a company to redo the front which also includes covering the stairs in stone (similar to tiles) but they say the stairs are too damaged/poorly layered to repair and that we need to recast the stairs on site. After reading your description, it seems our stairs are in similar condition. How did you reason regarding repairing the stairs versus recasting new ones?
I think when I've Googled around, many say that repairing the stairs never turns out quite right. That they usually crack again and you have to keep repairing them all the time.
I would love to hear your reflections and how it went for you with the repair and if you are satisfied with the result.
Any information would help.
//David
How did it go for you with the stairs? I have exactly the same problem and am wondering what to do. Does your repair seem to hold?
I've hired a company to redo the front which also includes covering the stairs in stone (similar to tiles) but they say the stairs are too damaged/poorly layered to repair and that we need to recast the stairs on site. After reading your description, it seems our stairs are in similar condition. How did you reason regarding repairing the stairs versus recasting new ones?
I think when I've Googled around, many say that repairing the stairs never turns out quite right. That they usually crack again and you have to keep repairing them all the time.
I would love to hear your reflections and how it went for you with the repair and if you are satisfied with the result.
Any information would help.
//David
davcar: I've also understood that it's difficult to repair, but casting a new one sounds expensive, and I don't like to make new things at the slightest doubt. So I've reasoned that I don't have much to lose by repairing the stairs. If it turns out not to work, I can always have a new one cast in a few years. 
It might be a bit more challenging if you want to cover the stairs. In that case, it might be good to know how it goes from the start...
I've brushed it clean and applied fine concrete now. It seems to be holding up very well, I think. But whether it really works will probably only be clear after at least the first winter. So unfortunately, I don't have any experiences to share yet.
Helioz: We've only lived in the house for 3 winters, but after I slipped down the stairs pregnant in the 5th month during the second winter we lived here, I've salted quite a bit to avoid falling again. I'm also wondering if that might be why it broke, so I'm repairing it, and from now on, we'll try to avoid salting the stairs, so maybe it will hold up better.
It might be a bit more challenging if you want to cover the stairs. In that case, it might be good to know how it goes from the start...I've brushed it clean and applied fine concrete now. It seems to be holding up very well, I think. But whether it really works will probably only be clear after at least the first winter. So unfortunately, I don't have any experiences to share yet.
Helioz: We've only lived in the house for 3 winters, but after I slipped down the stairs pregnant in the 5th month during the second winter we lived here, I've salted quite a bit to avoid falling again. I'm also wondering if that might be why it broke, so I'm repairing it, and from now on, we'll try to avoid salting the stairs, so maybe it will hold up better.
We had a staircase in the same condition. Probably built in the 1940s, which means minimal cement and therefore not much holding it together. It was basically just concrete on the outside, and the rest could be described as stone mixed with sand.
We tore it down and built a new one in wood. It didn't feel worth putting work into the old one when the original material was so poor.
We tore it down and built a new one in wood. It didn't feel worth putting work into the old one when the original material was so poor.
Yes, I've noticed that.Stefan N said:
We'll have to hope it fares better if we stop salting. I've also considered building a new stairway in wood, but we have a window under the stairway which is quite nice to have, and with a wooden stairway it will be completely enclosed. Oh well, we'll see how it goes in the long run.