The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:12 pm**

Hi,

I am planning to build a set of steps in my garden using flagstones for the treads and engineering bricks for the risers. I have looked at the section on steps on the website, but am still slightly unsure about how to go about it.

I have dug the bank out to the profile of the steps 300mm below the finished surface level. I now need to attempt the concrete sublayer.

Is this all done in one go for the whole flight of steps? Also, is form-work used to maintain the shape of the steps when pouring the concrete? Also, are the bricks then bedded onto the concrete when it is drying or bedded on mortar later on once the concrete has dried?

Please could someone just attempt to run me through the process briefly. Any help would be much appreciated. I have done quite a lot of other paving work (using this website which has proved invaluable), but there doesn't seem to be much step-by-step help on building steps.

Thanks in advance.

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:32 pm**

Dig off.

Place concrete for first riser.

Lay brickwork for riser.

Backfill with more concrete.

Place tread.

Place concrete for second riser...

etc, etc, etc.

Posted: **Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:40 pm**

Thanks for your reply Tony,

Does that mean that I can bed the bricks for the riser onto the wet concrete, and same with the flag for the step? Or do I have to wait for it to dry and then bed them on wet mortar once the concrete has dried? If I can bed them onto concrete, can I just build the whole flight of steps in one go, rather than having to wait for one bit to dry before starting the next etc.

Sorry if stupid questions - a bit of a novice (and a bit of an understatement).

Thanks in advance.

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:06 pm**

If you use a stiff concrete it's usually best to bed the bricks/flags using a wetter mortar. If you use a wetter concrete, you can bed bricks flags directly, but then you need to keep off them for at least a couple of hours while the concrete firms up.

I prefer the stiff concrete/wet mortar method.

The Brew Cabin

Flagstone steps - Flagstone steps