We seldom pay the steps outside our houses any attention… until someone falls through a rotting landing or trips on an uneven tread. If you could view your house through the eyes of a stranger, however, you’d see that steps in bad repair can ruin the first impression given by your home, and take away from its attractiveness.

There are many different types of steps, and one type is not necessarily better than another. The style of your steps should relate to the type and style of your house. (Note that replacing existing steps with a different style or material may require approval by your city’s Building Department; check with them about the appropriate procedures.) The advantage to masonry (brick or stone) steps is that the materials don’t deteriorate; however, the mortar holding the bricks together can fall apart in time, leaving them without normal support. Wooden steps, on the other hand, are subject to rot. So, there is no perfect material from which to make steps. The best approach is to learn to recognize the problems common to each type, so you can correct them before you have to replace the entire steps.

Wooden steps, even though they weigh much less than brick steps, nevertheless need a foundation to support them. They can be supported by a concrete sidewalk or a concrete foundation poured for that purpose. (Check with your Building Department about the size of foundation required.) Even with a foundation, however, seasonal changes may cause problems with wooden steps. (Read more….)