Carlton's Corner — Decorative Concrete Steps
Doug Carlton shares his expertise on installing decorative concrete steps. Read on for tips on using form liners, placing the concrete, coloring and finishing concrete steps that will add beauty to your project.
by Doug Carlton

I must be honest. I don't like April 15 and I don't look forward to pour days that include steps. It's that same pit-in-the-stomach feeling for both, I guess. You know what I'm talking about - when you have to do something you don't want to do because you're unsure of the outcome. But boy, the feeling of accomplishment when you're finished.

Success for both taxes and step pours is in our control, but I'm not touching the tax thing. The goal of this column is to provide a step-by-step progression for the installation of decorative steps.

Many decorative concrete projects require steps to transition from one elevation to another, and the concrete steps need to be as decorative as the rest of the project. Let's cover the process of turning ordinary steps into colorful decorative steps.

STEP ONE:
Add a form liner to your riser
The form liner will shape the vertical surface or step. There are many shapes to pick from, but I recommend choosing one or two styles and mastering these. Remember, the key to all decorative concrete is to become familiar with the tools and products you are using. I personally like the bull-nose-style liners. They work great with step lights by providing a safe spot for the light to tuck under the nose of the step.

Attaching the liner to the form board is somewhat easy. These liners are usually made of a poly foam material that is quite flexible. Most are thrown away after one or two uses. The poly foam can be easily attached by nailing through the form liner and into the step board. You may try placing a 2-inch strip of duct tape where the nails penetrate the poly foam to help keep the nails secure. As you can imagine, the poly foam is delicate. Trim the form liner flush with the bottom of your riser board just before attaching it. Remember to allow for the thickness of the form liner when setting your steps.