I have a basement stairway that is not attractive...
It seems to be cast in place from when the house was built in 1970 and probably hasn't received any love since then.
The wall against the lawn is rough in structure (Looks like the concrete wasn't vibrated) and has probably been coated with cold asphalt sometime in the distant past.
The house foundation is painted with unknown paint that adheres well to the substrate except in a few places where you can scrape off flakes that are brittle and can be snapped off (not pliable).
Now I've started to fix the mess but have encountered some considerations about which materials to use.
The goal is to smooth the surface of the outer wall so the surface matches the plastered house foundation and then paint everything in the same color (Different shade than what it is today). The steps are also intended to be painted.
1
Weber easy repair works well as a filler on concrete surfaces. I've already tried it spot-wise, with a primer, on some areas and it has worked well so far and the repair mortar works fine, but realized it was an acrylic-based primer which isn't optimal as it doesn't breathe. Also, you never know how it will work in the long run. What's done is done, and since it's spot-wise, I think the wall can still breathe adequately. Additionally, it is drained with isodrän. But is there any primer or similar that guarantees the repair mortar will adhere to the old substrate if I continue? I'm a little worried that it might be hard to get anything to stick to the cold asphalt.
2
Is there any recommended paint for the steps? When I've asked around at paint stores, the answer is that there's nothing that holds up in the long run. But what does the forum's experience say? Is there any good paint for outdoor steps? How can you then make the steps less dangerous in the winter if you paint with a paint that is probably slipperier than concrete?
Additionally: How do you best remove old moss? I've already killed it off but it's hard to remove what has stuck fast in the concrete. A wire brush works, but it's hard to reach all the way down.
