We carry out step repairs in Alloa and across Clackmannanshire, fixing cracked, loose and crumbling front door, back door and garden steps, or taking them out and rebuilding them when they are past saving. The aim is simple: steps that are solid, even and safe to use. We are based in Alloa and also cover Stirling, Falkirk and North Lanarkshire. Get in touch for a free quote.
Steps take a hammering. They are walked on every day, soaked every winter and frozen and thawed over and over, so it is no surprise that concrete steps and slab steps are among the most common repairs around older houses.
Signs your steps need attention
Most step problems start small and get worse with each winter. Water gets into a crack, freezes, expands and pushes the edge or tread a little further apart. The signs to look out for are:
- Chipped or broken edges on the front of the treads, where most of the wear happens.
- Cracks across treads or down the risers.
- Loose or rocking slabs that move when you stand on them.
- Crumbling joints between the steps, the landing and the house wall.
- Uneven rises, where one step is noticeably higher or lower than the rest.
- Hollow sounds when you tap the treads, which can mean the step has come away from its base.
Any one of these is worth getting looked at, particularly on the steps you use every day.
Repairing edges, treads and cracks
Plenty of steps can be put right without starting again. Broken edges are cut back to sound material and built up again, cracks are opened out and filled, and loose treads are lifted and reset on fresh mortar.
Crumbling joints around the steps and the landing are raked out and repointed so water cannot get back in. This is closely related to our wider cement work, which covers the same kind of patching and making good elsewhere around the house.
Repairs need the right weather. Fresh concrete and mortar should not go on when frost is expected, and they can usually take light foot traffic after 24 to 48 hours, reaching close to full strength after about 28 days.
Rebuilding steps
If the steps are hollow, badly cracked or have moved away from the house, patching only buys a little time. In that case the old steps are broken out, the ground underneath is checked and the steps are rebuilt on a solid, compacted base.
Rebuilding is also the chance to get the rises even. Comfortable domestic steps usually have a rise of around 150 to 180mm, and each step in a flight should match the others. The Scottish domestic building standards set out that the going plus twice the rise should come to between 550 and 700mm, which is a useful yardstick for a flight that feels natural to walk. You can read the detail in the building standards guidance on stairs.
Front steps replaced in Clackmannanshire are often on houses where the original steps have simply worn out after decades of use.
Garden steps
Garden steps between a patio and a lawn, or down a sloping garden, have the same problems as front steps, plus moss and wet leaves making them slippy. We repair and rebuild these too, reusing sound slabs and stone where we can.
If the steps sit alongside a patio or path that also needs work, it often makes sense to do the lot together. Our patios and paths page has more on that. Cracked brick walls or planters beside steps can be sorted at the same time through our brickwork repairs.
Safer steps for older relatives
A broken or uneven step is one of the easiest places in a home to trip. That matters most at the front door, where people are carrying shopping, and for anyone older or less steady on their feet.
If you have a parent or relative who struggles with their steps, it is worth getting them looked at sooner rather than later. Even edges, firm treads and matching rises make a real difference, and keeping the treads clear of moss helps them grip in the wet. If you think a handrail would help too, mention it and we can talk it through.
Landlords and letting agents also use us to keep steps at rented properties safe between tenants.
Step repairs across our areas
We carry out step repairs in Alloa and throughout Clackmannanshire, including Tullibody, Sauchie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar. Our Clackmannanshire area page has more on the towns we cover. We also repair and replace steps across Stirling, Falkirk and North Lanarkshire.
We have over 15 years’ experience and we are fully insured. For step repairs in Alloa or anywhere nearby, send us a few details or give us a call for a free quote.
