Upgrade Old Concrete Steps With Stone Veneer

If you have plain old concrete steps, you can boost your home’s curb appeal and value by cladding them in stone veneer and bluestone treads. Learn more about this DIY upgrade in this video by This Old House:

1. To get started, remove the trim board below the door and cut back the shingles on the sides of the stoop.

2. For the mortar to grab, scarify the concrete with a grinder or add a scratch coat.

3. Nail a metal net to the steps, add a layer of mortar with a trowel and comb the mortar with the trowel’s notches. Let dry overnight.

4. For the risers, dry fit the L-shaped cornerstones and the flatstones between them. For the sides, use painter’s tape to create a layout on a convas dropcloth. Place the cornerstones on the outline and position the flatstones with staggered joints, leaving a finger’s width between the stones for mortar. To fine tune the fit, mark cut lines on the stone and score them with a grinder, then place a mason’s chisel in the groove and strike it to break the stone.

5. Mix mortar to a consistency slightly soupier than creamy peanut butter so that it sticks to the trowel when held on its side.

6. Starting on the lowest riser, apply mortar to the back of the cornerstone. Use the tip of the trowel to create a furrow. Press the stone against the scratch coat and wiggle it in tight to create a vacuum. Don’t disturb the stone once it’s in place.

7. After finishing the first riser, install the first row of stones on the sides of the landing. Continue working your way up the risers and sides of the landing until all of the vertical surfaces are clad.

8. Squeeze mortar into the joints with a grout bag. Once the grout has cured slightly, use a striking tool to shave it.

9. To install the treads, first use painter’s tape to mark the center of each riser and tread. Lay a thick bed of mortar on the first step and use a level to even. Make X’s in the mortar with a trowel and then pour a soupy slurry mortar mix over the bed. Have a buddy help lift and place the tread, then use a rubber mallet to set the stone. Check the tread frequently with a level, and use a tape measure to make sure the overhang is the same on each side. Repeat to set the remaining treads.

10. On the landing, set the perimeter treads in the same way as the treads on the steps. Allow them to set overnight.

11. Install the pavers on the interior of the landing, keeping the tops flush and the joints uniform. Carefully fill the joints with grout and shape them with a striking tool.

12. Finish by cutting and replacing trim board beneath the door.