Last spring, we decided to remove a concrete walkway (and much of the soil underneath it) behind our house and replace it with either a pea gravel or decomposed granite patio with boxwoods and a fire pit. Removing the concrete and soil was fun, hard work.
Now, we need to decide how we're going to support the existing concrete steps.
As you can see from the images below, we left a mound of soil next to the steps for the time being, for support. We're not sure what to do next.
We have a few questions:
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What should we use to hold up the concrete steps? We're hoping it could be something that would be flush with the steps and not have to stick out too much into the patio.
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What can we use to remove the excess concrete on the foundation wall so that it's all even (no lip)?
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What can we use to make an extra step on the bottom of the concrete stairs all the way to the left in the panoramic picture? Right now, we have a mound of dirt left over from when I dug out the patio area. We'd be happy with a wood step, if we could find one that would look nice.
Any advice/pointers for this project are greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Best Answer
I can't give a definitive answer for most of this as I have no building experience, but the answer I would give to no 2 removal of the excess concrete on your foundation is a very loud 'don't do it'. it is as you say part of your house foundation. I don't think many would recommend reducing your foundation structure. If you wish this to be part of a social area, can I suggest that you find a way to increase this lip. And to use this as a shelf for cups, glasses etc. You may even like to have the odd small plant pot on there. This can be done by tiling up the wall against the existing concrete, and then tiling the shelf, or by boarding up the concrete and having a wooden shelf. Just a thought. How are you thinking about accessing your new patio area? Using the existing concrete steps may be awkward, and you may need to retain the soil pile and use this to have steps down to your patio, from the existing steps.