Most experts recommend sealing concrete porch steps to help prevent their porous surfaces from absorbing grease and water. Concrete stain or concrete paint can also be applied to these types of steps, and these options help enhance the beauty of the steps, as well as protect them. Generally, a homeowner will also need to reapply a concrete protective coating regularly. Holes and cracks in concrete steps should also be repaired as soon as possible. This will help prevent them from becoming larger and more expensive to fix.
Since concrete is a porous material, it can soak up all types of liquids, including water and oil. If water is absorbed into concrete porch steps, it can expand in freezing temperatures. This expansion can cause the concrete to crack. Although they are usually more of a problem on driveways and garage floors, oil and grease can also be absorbed into the concrete, which can leave a large unattractive stain.
Sealing concrete porch steps is usually recommended. Several concrete sealers are available for this. These sealers can usually be classified as either surface sealers or penetrating sealers. Surface sealers create a barrier on concrete surfaces. Penetrating sealers, on the other hand, penetrate into the porous concrete surface, preventing moisture from penetrating it.
People who also want to enhance the appearance of their porch entrance can use either a concrete stain or concrete paint. Like penetrating sealers, concrete stains are also absorbed into the surface of the concrete steps, but they also have pigments added to them. Concrete paint is a type of paint that can be used to paint concrete surfaces, including concrete porch steps. Both of these types of concrete treatments can also help protect the concrete surface.
Before applying sealer, stain, or paint to concrete porch steps, they should first be prepared properly. New concrete porch steps should be allowed to dry and cure for a couple of weeks or a few months. All concrete porch steps should also be clean and dry before applying any of these concrete products. To clean concrete steps, they should be swept with a stiff bristled broom and pressure washed.
Concrete sealers, stains, and paints should all be reapplied regularly. The duration between applications can vary, depending on how much concrete porch steps are used and where they are located. It is usually necessary to reapply protective coatings anywhere from once a year to once every few years.
Holes and cracks in concrete porch steps should also be repaired as soon as possible. These can be very dangerous, since they can cause a person to trip and get injured. Small cracks that are not repaired promptly will also usually expand over time. These larger holes are usually much more expensive and time consuming to fix than smaller cracks.