Are these concrete steps fixable?

Question

These steps are slowly crumbling, is there anyway I can fix them or should I just demo and build new stairs? I bought this house two years ago, and the steps were already there, so I have no idea how old these are.

Answer 1

The steps you have are not really made of concrete. They are made of 4"X8"X16" blocks, called CMU, (concrete masonry units) although they are not made of concrete. Last product I knew that they were made of was with a by-product of making iron or steel. The 2 or 3 damaged blocks can be removed with a hammer and chisel like they did in the old days. I have done that plenty. By placing the chisel in the joints to separate the individual blocks and relay new block in their place with masonry cement. Stay off them for 2 days to let the cement harden enough for traffic.

You may want to rent a "masonry cut off saw" with a 4" depth of cut, that will save a lot of chiseling. The saw will cut most of the 16" joint, leaving only needing to chisel out the "bed" joint the blocks are set in, so there will be room to add the masonry cement to set in all back in place.

Answer 2

Jack has it right. This stair set is made of blocks, not poured concrete. Most of my answer is still valid, but that's critical information.

---

Concrete that badly degraded usually isn't salvageable. There's some chance you could cut away the crumbling material to solid, then overpour, but that tends to be more work for little benefit. (If you're calling in a ready-mix truck, you'll have a trip fee anyway.)

This is also an opportunity to improve both the layout and aesthetics of the steps. They're a bit rough, having been formed in a simple manner with solid lumber, as was done in past eras.

Also consider a nice paver/retaining wall setup to avoid the whole concrete pour altogether. I envision a nice curving stair set with a cavity inside.