FIXING brick steps the EASY way (step by step)

At first glance it may seem intimidating to work on masonry projects, when you see this video you’ll see that it’s actually quite simple. We’ve been looking at these deteriorating brick steps for quite a while now. Now it’s time to get them all fixed up again so nobody will slip on a loose brick.

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[TidalWaveDan]

For anyone thinking they can’t do it. This guy is undoubtedly a DIYer and NOT a professional. But, he got the job done and it looks good. You can too.

[aperez]

Props for tackling the job on your own. The finished product looks much improved, and while you made some rookie mistakes, I've seen much, much worse. Here's a few pointers:

1) You'll be much more effective, and efficient, by simply troweling and packing the joints rather than slathering the entire surface with mortar. Save the "spread and wipe" technique for interior tilework. You'll waste less material, save time, and most importantly, avoid that nasty haze and staining all over your steps

2) Now that you DO have the haze, you may be able to remove it with a good pressure washing, but for bad mortar smears, a good muriatic acid cleaning may be required. Take care if the brick is particularly old (and/or soft), or the acid may do more harm than good

3) Wetting the brick and old joints was the right move, but never try to bond over standing water. Spraying or sponging before applying your mortar is fine, but I would never pour a bucket on a flat surface beforehand

4) While the new joints look pretty good, you missed a key opportunity to "finish the job" here. I see multiple bed (horizontal) and head (vertical) joints that are failed or failing. Next time you attempt something like this, go ahead and re-point those bad joints at the same you're repairing/re-laying your brick. Not only will the final product look much better (as the joints will be color matched), but it'll last longer as well. Nothing worse than taking all that time to re-do the top surface only to have it crack/sink/shift after a couple freeze/thaw cycles.

[rideinmynewcar]

I was actually able to fix my front and back steps after watching this video a couple times, thank you so much!

[Lookingforsunshine]

This was exactly what we needed! I had to convince my husband we could do it ourselves. Once we watched this, we were ready! Turned out perfect. Thank you!

[peterneville]

Fantastic description of job that always terrified me. The water wash with the brush was just great! Thanks.

[ricardostanton-salazar]

I got to replace a few bricks on our front porch walkway; thus, need to break bricks. In any case, "thank you" for this video. Now, I feel I can move forward with my project confidently.

[jhnhaney]

Unless it’s a 100 degrees outside or arrid and windy you shouldn’t add so much water. Wetting brick is ok but saturating it allows all the pores to fill with water which reduces the bricks adhesion. It’s unable to suck water from the mortar and bond if it’s already full of water so the brick basically floats. It may also release the excess water into your joints which would cause them to bleed and stain your brick facing. Hope that helps!

[BombshellCelluloid]

Thanks for the tips. Watching several brick/mortar videos to get a variety of insights. (I like to research.)

Side note: One professional in all the comments actually took the time to be constructive and help. The other nimwits screaming 'don't watch' 'dude don't know', yada yada yada. Yet not a single video from any of them showing 'how it's done.' Anyone who doubts the toxicity of the internet....there it is.

[gilly]

You make it look
so easy for a complete novice. Very helpful thx

[LuffyLockedU]

Try a mason sponge for cleanup and a jointer for filling joints. Also you may want to break out old mortar from under the brick before fixing or It may not hold up. Great video though!

[Sylkenwolf]

K! My 1st reaction to your vid is "hmmm! Nice!' Hope I can do this that well! Good job!😊

[JD-udlq]

Fabulous video. Any negative feedback is from those that want to rip the ass out of your wallet for what is a pretty basic job. Who cares if it isn't the correct method, you gave it a go, shared your experience with a pretty good outcome. Well done mate!

[alphaditto]

Thank you for transferring your confidence. You made a difference.

[pascualjuan]

Use a mortar bag to fill the holes instead of smearing all of them, less messy, less time, less smearing

[murphaa]

Great video….! I’m just looking for a quick fix like this… how long does it take to dry/walk on?

[michaelgrochowski]

Clearly presented to a guy who has never done brick laying! Thanks

[HomeImprovementRepairSummitSta]

Well…I’ll say this much, this is the first shown video when searching how to repair brick steps.

The instructional video was top notch. I’d love to see a brick layer union be as effective.

I loved all the tips and advise shared and the coordination of video and audio was great.

The tempo is perfect for my retarded brain and the tonality variations tickled my adhd enough to keep me engaged. Not to mention how well it transferred emotions.

There’s even some humility mixed in making it clear you’re human too and if one human can do it, so can others. All we need is a little confidence. And that’s exactly what I got.

[devlinvideo]

This gives me new hope for a project in a few weeks to help a friend out. This I can do. 3K for the contractor, this person cannot do. Thanks for posting this. (I'm gonna wear gloves!)
😁

[nrags]

I have Literally never seen anyone lay brick like this. I have No idea what the point of covering the entire step with mortar is but I know It’s not right. All that will do is stain the brick and make it hazy.

[angelgkd]

Great video, just what I needed. Thank you!