My front porch and steps are made of concrete. Water from the lawn
sprinklers pools on one of the steps because the step apparently wasn't
finished quite level. The water pools, then evaporates, then pools again on
the next cycle, etc., etc. It's not deep -- it evaporates within an hour or
so on a warm day. But when it's more or less dry, it's greener and greener,
apparently from algae forming.

Is it possible to "refinish" the top of a concrete step in a manner both
practical and aesthetically pleasing? If it's hundreds of dollars, I'll
live with the "moss." But if there's a cheap and effective remedy, I'd love
to know about it.

Jim Beaver

or: drill a small drain hole? jack up and repitch the precast steps?
periodically bleach steps? re-aim the sprinkler head? reduce the
sprinkler flow at the steps?

Jim Beaver wrote:
My front porch and steps are made of concrete. Water from the lawn
sprinklers pools on one of the steps because the step apparently wasn't
finished quite level. The water pools, then evaporates, then pools again on
the next cycle, etc., etc. It's not deep -- it evaporates within an hour or
so on a warm day. But when it's more or less dry, it's greener and greener,
apparently from algae forming.

Is it possible to "refinish" the top of a concrete step in a manner both
practical and aesthetically pleasing? If it's hundreds of dollars, I'll
live with the "moss." But if there's a cheap and effective remedy, I'd love
to know about it.

Jim Beaver

There are concrete repair products made for recoating, they possibly
have Vinyl in them or some other plastic and are designed for thin
resurfacing. I dought it would last for more than 5 years but for one
step it would be worth trying, There is a machine made by Porter Cable
you might be able to rent it is a diamond rotary tool that gouges in
groves like the ones done on road resurfacing, but handheld and 1000$,
If you cant find a rental, Bleach should be used to kill the mold,
Muriatic acid to etch it and power wash ot just wash it good. Or cut a
drain grove in the concrete with a a power tool, grinder or circular saw
and conctete blade.

Jim Beaver writes:

But if there's a cheap and effective remedy, I'd love
to know about it.

The technical term is "birdbath".

If it is slight, consider grinding it down. A disc sander will do it if
the aggregate is soft. Otherwise you need a concrete planer with a diamond
disk.

"Jim Beaver" wrote in message
m...
My front porch and steps are made of concrete. Water from the lawn
sprinklers pools on one of the steps because the step apparently wasn't
finished quite level. The water pools, then evaporates, then pools again
on the next cycle, etc., etc. It's not deep -- it evaporates within an
hour or so on a warm day. But when it's more or less dry, it's greener
and greener, apparently from algae forming.

Is it possible to "refinish" the top of a concrete step in a manner both
practical and aesthetically pleasing? If it's hundreds of dollars, I'll
live with the "moss." But if there's a cheap and effective remedy, I'd
love to know about it.

Jim Beaver


Take a circular saw and concrete cutting blade and score it with shallow
grooves to a shallow depth, say 1/8" ... just enough for it to drain. You
can do it in straight lines in either direction, or make a pattern. You can
draw them with a pencil or pop them with a chalk line. You can be creative,
just don't cut too many grooves or too deep. Start with a few, and wet the
steps and see if you need to cut more.

Steve

Jim Beaver wrote:
My front porch and steps are made of concrete. Water from the lawn
sprinklers pools on one of the steps because the step apparently wasn't
finished quite level. The water pools, then evaporates, then pools again on
the next cycle, etc., etc. It's not deep -- it evaporates within an hour or
so on a warm day. But when it's more or less dry, it's greener and greener,
apparently from algae forming.

Is it possible to "refinish" the top of a concrete step in a manner both
practical and aesthetically pleasing? If it's hundreds of dollars, I'll
live with the "moss." But if there's a cheap and effective remedy, I'd love
to know about it.

Jim Beaver

Just leave it. In a perfect world all concrete would drain correctly. I
would not put a coating on it, as it will look well, coated. I would
not saw cut it either, this won't look right either. Just adjust your
sprinklers and bleach it when it gets bad.