DIY steps for a porch made of concrete. How to make a concrete porch on your own? Step-by-step guide Construction of concrete steps to the porch of a house

In order to enter Vacation home, you need to climb to a certain height along the porch. The need to build a porch arose because the foundation and plinth rise above the ground surface in order to prevent moisture from seeping into the walls of the house. Most often, a self-built porch is equipped with wood or concrete, less often - with steel elements or a combination of different building materials.

A porch made of concrete is considered the most durable - it will last more than a hundred years, withstanding heavy weight and mechanical loads. The technology for installing this structure has been perfected for years, so making a concrete porch with your own hands is not difficult - you just need to have the appropriate construction tool, purchase the necessary building materials, and adhere to technology. A porch can be built from scratch, but it happens that you need to repair or replace the old one. This is preceded by the following operations:

Dismantle old design, clear the area from construction waste;
Measure the height of the porch - this is the distance from the threshold of the house to the soil, calculate the height of the steps based on their preferred number;
Minimum site size front door should be 0.3 m wider than the entrance door - 0.15 m on each side;

The construction of the porch can be organized along with the construction of the walls of the house, or it can be attached after the construction of the building is completed. If all requirements are met, the structure will last a long time - it will not crack, shrink or deform from constant use. The advantages of concrete construction are as follows:

Long-term operation under conditions of high and constant loads;
Over time, concrete not only loses its physical and operational properties, but, on the contrary, its strength increases;
The strength of a concrete structure is enhanced by reinforcement;
You can cast a porch from different types of concrete geometric shapes, up to curvilinear;
Using available and cheap building materials– Portland cement, sand, crushed stone or gravel;
Fire safety, environmental friendliness, resistance to high humidity and temperature changes over a wide range;
Finishing work is carried out ceramic tiles, natural stone, painting, artificial stone, plastering, etc.

Structural forms and design

The design can be made different shapes– round, square, rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular or curvilinear, it can also be an oval or semicircular porch. Structurally, you can equip closed, open or veranda-like objects. All these building construction can be equipped with railings, or do without them. Railings are not only safety, but also aesthetics in combination with original design entrance area.

The first point in the project is the shape and type of structure, the number and size of steps, taking into account the height and age of the residents of the house. The width of the stairs should allow not only people to climb freely, but also to move furniture and other large objects. Therefore, when developing a project, the following circumstances are taken into account:

The porch staircase must have a width of ≥ 85 cm;
Tilt – 5°. With a greater slope, walking up steep stairs becomes dangerous;
The number of steps is odd. This follows from a centuries-old observation - it is more comfortable for a person to stand on the top landing of the stairs with the same foot with which he stands on the first step;
Step height – up to 0.3 m. Standard height– 0.8 m;
The steps are made overhanging each other by no more than 3 cm;
Height difference between landing and entrance door – ≤ 50 mm;
The landing should allow the entrance door to open and close freely.

Tools and building materials

If you have chosen a concrete structure, the porch can be filled with concrete delivered from the manufacturer, or you can prepare the solution yourself. Ordering, transporting and unloading batch concrete is not the most economical option, but with its own advantages - the mixture remains homogeneous, without air, after hardening the concrete does not lose the parameters declared by the manufacturer. Concrete made at the factory will retain its working qualities longer due to mixing in an automixer or concrete mixer during transportation. The disadvantage is that it is expensive compared to manually preparing the solution. Therefore, before you make a concrete porch with your own hands, choose a solution that suits your project and budget.

You can prepare your solution either in a concrete mixer or by hand. If the preparation and pouring technology is followed, the quality of the solution will not be inferior to the quality of factory-mixed concrete. To mix the mortar yourself, you need to take a grade of Portland cement M 400 or higher, and the following building materials and tools will be useful:

Cement M 400-M 500, screened or river sand, crushed stone (can be replaced with gravel, pebbles or broken natural stone);
Reinforcing bars Ø 12-24 mm, soft steel binding wire;
Materials for arranging formwork - boards, plywood, corrugated sheets, fiberboard, chipboard, OSB, slate;
Wooden beams, roofing felt, nails or screws.
Grinder (grinder), hammer drill, vibrator and concrete mixer, bayonet shovel, mortar trough (for manual concrete preparation);
Bucket for mortar, hammer, level, tape measure, rule.

Porch construction

When starting to build a concrete porch, you must follow three basic rules:

The height of the porch should be the same as the foundation;
It is advisable to connect the foundation and reinforcement to the foundation and reinforcement cage Houses;
It is necessary to install waterproofing so that moisture from the staircase foundation does not seep into the concrete of the house foundation and walls.

Standard or ready-made original project you can calculate the approximate costs of building materials. The volume of concrete is calculated based on the area of the foundation. To find out the base area, the width B, height H and length L of the structure are multiplied. Stages of constructing a porch;

Before you build a concrete porch, you need to build a foundation for it. The depth of the trench will be the same as the depth of the foundation of the house. A sand and crushed stone cushion is poured into the bottom of the pit - this is an operation necessary for all types of foundations. The pillow is compacted while simultaneously wetting it;
The formwork is assembled and installed - the walls of the formwork must be smooth, and the horizontal and verticality of the structure when installed in a trench is checked with a level. The formwork is attached to the walls of the trench with metal rods - they are driven into the ground through the formwork material. If this is not done, then the formwork may deform or crumble under the weight of the solution. The formwork walls are also fastened together from the outside and inside;
The estimated height of the porch should be increased by 0.3 m so that the formwork can be conveniently arranged. Directly on the surface of the formwork, future steps and steps are drawn, which will be located at an angle of 900, here the contour of the platform and steps are drawn, having a slope for every 0.3 m of depth - 0.05 m;
The side formworks are reinforced with stiffening ribs - wooden beams or a metal corner. A gap of 2-3 cm is left between the formwork and the walls of the trench to ensure a slight play of the panels when pouring concrete;
The next step is to attach boards to the formwork along the width of the staircase steps. The bottom ends of the boards should be inclined so that the poured solution is even. The boards are fastened with screws or nails;
Before pouring concrete mortar it is necessary to lay a vapor barrier layer at the bottom of the prepared fora and fly it off expansion joint between the foundation of the house and the base of the porch. To do this, roofing material is laid on the foundation of the house and a layer of sealant is applied. The inside of the formwork is coated with a lubricant (in its absence, bitumen or tar can be used) so that the solution does not stick to the walls of the structure;
The future foundation needs to be reinforced mandatory. The reinforcing bars are connected to each other with soft steel wire - it is not advisable to use welding. To connect both foundations to each other, you need to drill several holes in the base of the house with a hammer drill, into which reinforcement will be driven, laid in the frame of the porch foundation, and linked to its reinforcement frame. The distance between the fastening rods is maintained at 10-15 cm.

Concreting and building steps

TO external wall A layer of waterproofing is attached to the foundation - roofing material, membrane or polyethylene. When pouring concrete layer by layer, it should be immediately compacted with a vibrator or piercing bayonet shovel to get rid of air in the solution. When constructing steps, the following nuances are observed:

Rise and steps in the structure must be mounted at an angle of 900;
When installing formwork, stiffeners are required;
The angle of inclination of the seizures is 6 mm over the entire length of their surface. The slope is necessary for rapid drainage of rainwater;
The bottom and walls of the formwork must be protected with a layer of waterproofing.

For semicircular or oval shape formwork is made of plywood 3 cm thick or thin metal sheets. The steps are reinforced with rods Ø 8-10 mm, which are fastened to the foundation of the building or porch to prevent cracks from appearing in the concrete. Final stage concreting - pouring mortar into the formwork of steps and porches. The surface is leveled using a rule or a spatula 0.8-1 m wide. The smoother the concrete surface, the less is required finishing materials during finishing work.

Finishing work

After the solution has set and hardened, the formwork is broken and removed from the trench, and the space between the concrete and the soil is filled with earth and compacted. For finishing The following finishing materials can be used in the structure:

Fake diamond;
Natural stone;
Porcelain stoneware, clinker or ceramic tiles.

The choice of materials is not critical and depends on individual preferences. The color and texture should be in harmony with the decoration of the house. If these conditions are met, the technology for installing finishing materials is also indicated.

How to make a porch out of concrete with your own hands updated: December 29, 2016 by: Artyom

Or concrete. The latter does not rust or rot, and therefore structures made from it are the most durable. In addition, building a concrete porch is not a very difficult operation.

In order to build it, no special skills are needed and no expensive equipment. All that needs to be done is to knock down the formwork and knead cement mixture suitable composition. But let's talk about everything in order.

Preparatory work

Cement porches are usually made rectangular. Sometimes their shape is semicircular. Both options are filled in exactly the same way. Only the methods of making formwork differ. can also be different - made of stone, tile, wood, etc. In any case, carry out the construction and finishing procedure concrete march should be done carefully and slowly. And then you will be able to make it very much out of concrete with your own hands. For example, like in these photos:

Design

How to finish a concrete porch with your own hands. Photo of a tiled structure

How to choose the right tile

To cover the porch of a private house, you should choose non-slip tiles with a rough surface. Finishing is carried out using only the frost-resistant option. It is not necessary to make the march monochromatic. You can purchase tiles of different colors and lay out a real mosaic on the steps. Note: Concrete porches look very beautiful, the steps of which are finished with plain tiles, and the risers are ornamented to match.

It is not necessary to decorate the porch with plain tiles

Cladding technology

You need to tile a concrete porch with your own hands using the following technology:

All dirt and dust are removed from the surface of the porch;
The adhesive is applied to both tiles and concrete. Just don't make the layer too thick;
The tiles are pressed tightly against the surface of the porch;
Between separate elements spacer plastic crosses are installed;
The next day, the joints are grouted with a special grouting compound matched to the color of the tile.

Procedure for laying tiles on steps

Finally, we invite you to watch a video about how to make a porch and save on cement:

We hope we have given a more or less detailed answer to the question of how to fill a porch with a semicircle or rectangle. As you can see, the main difficulty in manufacturing such structures is assembling reliable formwork of the required shape and tying reinforcement.

If the base of the house is high, it is necessary to equip a porch when creating the building. It must be durable and reliable. Therefore, when arranging steps, be sure to follow established rules and norms. Create DIY concrete porch By installed technology Almost every master who has minimal skills in construction can do it.

There are many options for designing the entrance to the building. The main thing is that the porch is combined with the overall style of the facade. In this case, you can choose various elements decor. The main thing is that the structure is strong, safe and durable.

Assuming everything is done existing requirements. More often similar design designed together with a cottage plan or country house. However, in some cases it is necessary to attach steps separately. If the porch was not included in the plan or it is necessary to reconstruct an old structure, it is necessary to approach the implementation similar works very responsible.

If building codes and requirements are not followed, various adverse consequences can be expected. The facade walls to which the structure adjoins may crack. In this case, additional costs will be required to strengthen them.

Also, if installed incorrectly, the porch itself may sag. In this case, it will become unsafe to use the steps. They may also peel off finishing coat. In this case, the porch will lose its decorative effect.

When creating a plan for a future extension to the house, you will need to take into account the dimensions of the building itself. The steps should fit harmoniously into the overall exterior. They should not be too small or bulky so as not to look ridiculous.

Varieties

May have different configurations. When choosing a shape, take into account the geometry of the facade in the entrance area. The porch can be semicircular, trapezoidal, square or rectangular. The choice depends on general design building exterior, finishing style.

The strength of the structure does not depend on the shape of the porch. However, experts say that it is better for novice craftsmen to give preference to designs with corners. It is quite difficult to create round steps without sufficient experience in carrying out construction work.

The porch can also be enclosed, open, or in a veranda configuration. It can also have railings or do without them. If the climb is steep and the width of the stairs is small, it is recommended to install handrails. This will ensure safety when going up and down the steps.

Organization of construction

Considering how to make a porch from concrete, it is necessary to properly organize the entire work process. It is better if the steps are built along with the building. However, if this process is not possible, a number of recommendations must be taken into account.

The top step should be 5 cm below the door level. This is stipulated by the relevant rules. The number of steps is selected according to the height from the ground to the door. Their inclination and size should facilitate comfortable and safe movement of people. The presence of an upper platform is not a mandatory requirement. If it is convenient for the owners to create a structure with such an element, this will be a good solution.

Construction includes several stages. First, a project is created. Next, the installation site is cleaned. Next, the formwork is installed. After this happens concrete pouring. Finishing works complete the construction process.

Design

The width of the porch should be at least 80 cm. If two people move along the steps at once, this figure increases to 1 m. The tilt angle of the extension should not be more than 45º. It is better if it is 30º. The number of steps should be odd for convenience. Each of them must be at least 25 cm wide.

The height of the steps, depending on other selected parameters, should be in the range from 120 to 200 mm. The upper platform must be of such a size that the door can be opened freely. After taking into account the listed standards, it is necessary to calculate the amount of concrete and reinforcement.

Tools and materials

Must be created according to the project. The concrete may be ready. If you use this material, its grade can be M200. When mixing the dry mixture yourself, it is recommended to purchase stronger cement. Material with grade M400 is suitable. A sand and gravel solution is mixed from it.

You will also need reinforcement with a diameter of 6.5 mm. It is tied with wire. The formwork is made from boards. Its frame is made of beams. You will also need nails and waterproofing (roofing felt).

It is necessary to prepare several tools in advance. You will need a hammer drill, an angle grinder, and a special concrete compactor. The boards are cut using a saw. During the work you will need shovels (scoop, bayonet). The mixture is kneaded in a special trough. It is also recommended to prepare a hammer, spatulas, level, and tape measure.

Preparatory process

Having chosen the optimal configuration of the future structure, it is necessary to consider step by step instructions. DIY concrete porch should be arranged in accordance with the developed methodology.

The construction site must be prepared. If there was an old porch here, it will be completely dismantled. Next you need to make the foundation. Without it, the porch may sag. To do this you need to dig a hole. The depth should be 20-25 cm, the width should be in accordance with the size of the porch (should be 2.5 cm larger). The steps should be wider than the door leaf. They must exceed this figure by 15 cm. The upper platform must be at least 1 m wide.

The foundation must correspond to the depth of the foundation of the house itself. Crushed stone is poured onto the prepared area. It is necessary to lay raw sand on it. It is lightly compacted. The voids must be filled with sand.

Formwork

Concrete porch formwork is the frame, the shape into which the porch will be poured. To do this you will need to select strong boards and beams. They should not be deformable. You can attach the form using self-tapping screws or even ordinary nails.

The frame should be 30 cm higher than the porch itself. This is due to the deepening of the formwork into the ground. First, the risers and treads are drawn. They must have a right angle. After this, you need to draw the platform and treads. Their slope should be 6 mm. The depth of the water drain should be about 30 cm. Then the risers are marked. The slope in this case should be 15º.

Stiffening ribs are attached to the sides of the form. You need to step back 1 cm from the wall of the house. The prepared formwork panels are mounted side by side. The stakes need to be driven to a depth of 25 cm. Spacers are installed between them and the formwork. The backfill of the base should be 10 cm. It is compacted. The size of the boards is adjusted in accordance with the dimensions of the risers. The boards are nailed to the formwork.

Reinforcement

If the owners own home are studying how to make a semicircular porch from concrete or another configuration with large dimensions, it is necessary to pay attention to the reinforcement process. In this case, construction will be carried out using more complex technology.

After formwork is formed, reinforcement must be added to the structure. It is also embedded into the walls of the house. Distance between each metal element should be 10 cm. The height of the reinforcement should protrude 20 cm higher than the future foundation.

If the boards move during the pouring process and they begin to deform, it is necessary to support them with special structures. Filling is carried out starting from the first step. It is better for the concrete mixer to stand in close proximity to the formwork. To avoid the appearance of voids, it is necessary to pour a sufficient amount of cement mixture into the mold.

Finishing

After the concrete structure has completely dried, you can begin finishing works. When choosing a style and materials, be sure to take into account the general style of facade decoration. This will create a unified image.

Considering how to cover a concrete porch, it is necessary to give preference to materials such as porcelain stoneware, clinker tiles or stone. In this case, the concrete surface will be additionally protected from mechanical damage. The appearance of the porch will be aesthetic.

After installation of finishing materials, additional elements can be installed. This could be a railing or a canopy. Also, if you have a large porch, you can arrange a veranda here. Choice additional elements The owners make decorations in accordance with their taste preferences.

Having looked at how to create do-it-yourself concrete porch, every owner of a private home will be able to do the job well. The design will be strong, reliable and durable.

The porch is one of the most important elements Houses. It emphasizes the individuality of the building and gives it a certain style. It is very important for all family members who live in the house that the structure is of the appropriate size, the steps have the same height and width, and it is comfortable to walk on them.

The following basic requirements are imposed on the construction of a house porch: it must be comfortable for walking; have good strength; match the style of the building itself.

The porch can be made of concrete, wood or metal. A concrete structure provides room for imagination: it can be faced with tiles, stone or painted.

A concrete porch can be built-in, built at the same time as the house, or completed after the construction of the building is completed.

A concrete structure can be made in the form of: rectangle, circle, square, trapezoid.

If you want to install concrete porch with your own hands, you need to follow these rules:

Make proper waterproofing of the future concrete structure. The concrete porch structure should be located lower doorway by 51 mm, then the door will open and close easily. The foundation of the porch is made the same as that of the house - the same depth and through reinforcement. Building materials should be chosen good quality, with good moisture resistance and resistance to temperature changes.

How to correctly calculate the dimensions of a concrete porch

The main dimensions of a concrete porch are calculated as follows:

The total height of a concrete porch is calculated from the ground to the threshold.
According to building standards, the width of the steps is made larger than the doorway by 15 cm.
The width of the top step cannot be less than 100 cm so that two people can fit on it at the same time.
The height of the steps is made in the range of 12-20 cm. It is made depending on the convenience when walking up the stairs. If elderly people or children live in the house, the height should not exceed 15 cm.
The tread must be made at least 27 cm wide.
To correctly calculate the number of steps, you need to divide the total height of the porch by the planned height of one step. If a whole number does not work out, then the height of the steps is adjusted so that by multiplying it by the number, the total height of the porch is obtained. The ascent will be more convenient if the staircase has an odd number of steps.
If a concrete porch is made as an extension, then the depth of the platform under it is at least 100 cm.
The slope of the concrete stairs is made at an angle from 26° to 44°.
The size of the overhang of the steps should not exceed 3 cm.

To make it easier to build a concrete porch, it is best to draw a sketch of it with all the distances.

What materials and tools will be needed for construction?

After determining the dimensions of the concrete porch, you can begin to calculate the number of building materials. It is better to take materials with a reserve, so as not to waste time running around for some kilogram concrete mixture.

If the construction is carried out from ready-made concrete, you only need to determine its volume. If you make the mixture yourself, you need to calculate that to obtain 1 m³ of concrete you will need: 340 kg of cement, 1 m³ of sand and 0.85 m³ of crushed stone.

To build a concrete porch you will need:

wooden blocks as stiffeners measuring 4x4 cm;
plywood with boards (2 cm thick and 20 cm wide);
carnations with large caps;
fittings with a diameter of 7-11 mm;
wire for creating a frame lattice;
pieces of brick;
cement and crushed stone, sand;
waterproofing material;
cladding products.

You should prepare all the tools for construction in advance and check their functionality: a hammer drill with attachments for drilling concrete; concrete mixer; electric saw; vibrator that compacts concrete mixtures; shovels of shovel and bayonet type; spatula, level, tape measure, hammer.

Stages of installing a concrete porch with your own hands

Preparing the site for construction

Preparing the construction site involves clearing the area where the concrete porch will be located from debris or residues former porch. After this, a pit is dug 20-30 cm deep below the freezing level of the ground in winter period. Holes are made in the foundation of the house for reinforcement to make mutual reinforcement. The concrete porch should not be tied too tightly to the house, since winter time anyway, the extension will be slightly shifted relative to the main building. If the porch does not have the ability to move, then deep cracks will inevitably appear between it and the house.

Then they make the substrate: a layer of wet sand 15 cm thick is poured onto the ground, a layer of crushed stone 20 cm thick is placed on top, which is compacted into the sand; after that, pour another 10 cm of sand; again it is compacted and everything is filled with water. Thanks to this construction technology, the sand-crushed stone layer will protect the concrete structure from the influence groundwater. A thick film or roofing felt is placed on the substrate to prevent the action of water. Then - a reinforcing mesh with cells. And concrete is poured on top of all this. To get the air out of the mixture, you need to pierce the concrete in several places with a thin stick.

The structure is left to harden for several days.

Construction of formwork

After the pillow has dried, you can make formwork. The frame needs to be strong and rigid to hold the mass of concrete. It is made from plywood and boards joined together to create the desired porch structure.

The contours of the future concrete porch are drawn on plywood. Risers and treads are made at right angles. After this, a platform with an upper tread is drawn with a slope of 5 mm for every 30 cm for high-quality drainage of water from the concrete surface. The risers are drawn taking into account the inclination of the lower edge inward by 16°.

The side forms are secured with rigid beams. The panels are connected with boards that follow the contours of the risers. A gap of 1 cm is left between the frame and the foundation of the house. Wooden stakes to secure the frame are driven into the ground to a depth of more than 25 cm. The gap between the frame and the stakes is covered with earth and compacted well.

Before the beginning next stage installation - concreting, the foundation of the house is covered with a piece of roofing material and treated with sealant.

Concreting technology

After completing the formwork, they proceed to the concreting stage. To prevent concrete from sticking to the boards, they are coated from the inside with lubricant. The entire porch should be concreted at once so that the concrete does not have time to harden. This process begins from the bottom step. The porch must be filled with compaction of the mixture to remove all excess air. This makes the concrete structure strong and durable. For compaction, you can use a special tamping tool, or if you don’t have one, then a shovel.

In order to save concrete, you can mix pieces of brick or pebbles into the solution. So that their pieces do not stick out from the steps, they are leveled with a shovel. Use a level to check how smooth the surface is; if necessary, level it with a spatula.

Advice ! To strengthen concrete blocks, it is advisable to put metal corners, pressing them slightly into the wet mixture.

The next layer is poured with concrete only after the previous one has hardened. This stage of construction is completed by concreting the top step and the area in front of the door. The finished concrete porch must dry in the formwork for at least 8 days. After this, the formwork is carefully removed so as not to damage the structure. To remove it, it is advisable to tap the boards with a hammer, then they will easily move away from the concrete masonry. The surface of the porch is polished so that there are no protrusions and burrs, as they will interfere with high-quality cladding.

Finishing work - the final stage of construction

Finishing begins no earlier than 4 weeks after the formwork is removed. The simplest and cheap option To give a concrete porch a finished look - paint it with a special weather-resistant paint.

A cladding made of small pebbles will look beautiful, creating the illusion of a sea coast.

Advice ! In order for the house to look organic, the style of the porch decoration should be combined with the facade and roof of the house.

Often a concrete porch is covered with clinker tiles, which are slip-resistant and resistant to all weather conditions.

A cladding made from artificial or natural stone. Also, a good option for a concrete porch would be a porcelain stoneware coating - a durable and aesthetic material.

If the number of steps is small - 3-4, then railings are not necessary. But if there are more than 4 of them, it is better to take care of the safety of your household, especially children and the elderly, and make comfortable handrails. Correctly selected railings can be the highlight of everything country house. They are usually made of stone, metal, and less often of wood. Moreover the best option it will be if the railings are made of the same material as the facing of the steps: the version of the railings and steps made of natural stone will look rich.

In order to create an aesthetic appearance of a country house and better preserve the concrete porch, you need to install a canopy. It also needs to be made taking into account the style of the porch and the building itself.

The porch is mandatory element construction individual house. It is in plain sight, so special requirements are placed on its design.

First of all, it should be strong and comfortable to walk on. Secondly, it must match the size and style of the façade of the house. The porch can be made of metal, wood or concrete. Concrete structures can be finished with tiles, stone, and paint. Due to the flexibility of solutions, durability, reliability of construction and ease of construction, concrete is most often used for the construction of the entrance area.

Varieties of concrete porch shapes

The porch is a platform with an adjacent staircase of several steps. It can be built-in, designed together with the entire building, added after completion of the main construction, with its own foundation, or attached cantilever.

A concrete porch can be made in the form of:

rectangle;
square;
trapezoid;
circle.

The design of the entrance group of the house can be from the front or side and:

made in the form of a veranda;
closed;
open.

Features of constructing a concrete porch

Making a concrete porch with your own hands is not that difficult. You need to know a few rules and strictly follow them.

Concrete porch size calculations

Main Dimensions when calculating a porch made of concrete:

Overall height of the porch. This is the distance from the ground to the bottom of the threshold;
Step width. By building regulations The width of the step should be wider than the doorway by an average of 150 mm. It is stipulated that the width of the upper step must be at least 1000 mm so that two people can easily separate on the stairs;
The height of the steps is 120–200 mm. The height can be taken depending on the ease of movement along the steps. If there are small children and elderly people in the house, this could be 120–150 mm. For an adult, the optimal height is 200 mm;
Tread width from 270 mm;
Number of steps. By dividing the total height of the porch by the height of one step, you can determine the number of steps. The fractional value is rounded to the nearest whole number by changing the step height. It is better to have an odd number of steps for ease of climbing the stairs;
The depth of the site, if the porch is made in the form of an extension, must be at least one meter;
The angle of inclination of the stairs is 26–45°.

Having determined the size and number of steps, need to draw a sketch, that is, to draw up a project for the porch, which will be needed during further stages of work.

Materials and tools for manufacturing

Having decided on the size and design of the structure, you can calculate required amount materials to make a porch with your own hands. Materials It's better to buy with a reserve so that in the midst of work you don’t have to run around looking for the missing kilograms of mixture or meters of wire. If ready-mixed concrete is used, then you only need to determine its volume. In the case when you need to prepare a mixture, then the consumption of materials per cubic meter concrete is:

cement – 340 kg;
sand – 1.05 m³;
crushed stone – 0.86 m³.

In the frame, there should be two reinforcement bars for each step.

Necessary materials:

sheets of plywood and boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm and a width of 200 mm for the manufacture of formwork;
bars 40× 40 mm for stiffeners;
nails with wide heads to fasten the formwork boards;
metal wire for knitting a frame of reinforcement;
reinforcement with a diameter of 6.5–12 mm for the frame;
broken brick;
waterproofing material;
cement;
crushed stone;
medium sand;
finishing materials.

Tools to make steps for the porch with your own hands:

concrete mixer;
hammer drill with concrete drills;
electric saw;
vibrator for compacting concrete mortar;
bayonet shovel. A shovel may be needed if concrete needs to be manually transferred from a wheelbarrow to the frame;
wire tying tool;
hammer, spatula, level, meter, tape measure.

Site preparation

When is it being built new house and even at the construction stage a single strip foundation, site preparation is only for construction waste removal. But it often happens that you need to replace an old porch, under which there is no foundation, for example, in country house. Then the site chosen for the porch is cleared of debris and the old porch, then a pit is dug for the foundation with a depth of 200–300 mm below the freezing level of the soil, that is, at least 500 mm, a width and length 25 mm greater than the corresponding dimensions of the site. Holes for reinforcement are drilled in the foundation of the house to provide mutual reinforcement.

The next stage of work is the installation of the substrate. A layer of wet sand about 150 mm thick is laid on the ground, then a layer of 200 mm is filled with crushed stone and leveled and compacted so that it sinks into the sand, and again a layer of sand of about 100 mm. All layers again compacted and filled with water. After all the procedures, the voids in the crushed stone will be filled with sand. This base protects the concrete from the effects of groundwater.

Roofing material or a dense film is laid on the substrate to waterproof the foundation, which protects the structure from destructive influences surface waters. Then comes the turn of the reinforcing mesh with cells 100×100 mm. And only then the concrete is poured, leveled and pierced in several places with a rod to allow air to escape.

In order for the structure to gain primary strength, it must be left for several days to harden. Concrete mortar for the foundation is prepared in standard proportions: for one part of cement, take three parts of sand and five parts of crushed stone.

After the cushion has formed, you can begin installing the formwork. The frame must be strong and stable, capable of supporting the weight of the concrete being poured. It is a box-shaped structure made of thick plywood sheets edged boards and corresponds appearance and the shape of the future porch.

The outline of the porch is drawn on a sheet of plywood, starting from the bottom step. The risers and treads are made at an angle of 90° for ease of marking. Then a platform and an upper tread are drawn with a slope of 6 mm for every 300 mm of length to ensure water drainage. Returning to the risers, their outline is drawn with the lower edge sloping 15° inward. The final contour is cut out with a grinder, and the sides of the frame are ready.

Plywood may not hold up pressure of the concrete mixture, so the sides of the formwork are reinforced with stiffening ribs made of timber. The panels are connected with boards that follow the shape and dimensions of the risers. Prepared nails are used for this. It is advisable to make the lower edge of the boards at a slope so that the pouring of concrete is smooth. The resulting frame is installed at a distance of 10 mm from the foundation of the house and is fixed on both sides with spacers that rest against stakes. The stakes are driven into the ground to a depth of at least 250 mm at a distance of about half a meter from the shields. Then the space between the frame and the stakes is filled with approximately 100 mm of soil and carefully compacted.

Having finished making the formwork, the foundation of the house is covered with roofing felt, and a sealant is applied on top of it, thus creating expansion joint . A vapor barrier and formwork with inside coated with lubricant so that the concrete solution does not stick to the formwork.

To ensure that concrete does not lose its strength properties, it must be laid immediately after mixing. Therefore, the closer the concrete mixer is to the structure, the better. Most good option when concrete is supplied directly from the tray.

To make the porch strong and durable, you need to install a frame made of reinforcement. It is cut into pieces of the required length and tied with wire. The length of the rods should be 40–50 mm shorter than the width of the steps. The distance between layers of reinforcement should be about 150 mm. We must not forget to place the reinforcement bars in pre-prepared holes in the foundation of the house. When tying the reinforcement, embedded elements are left for installing railings and a canopy, if they are provided for in the project. Then you won’t have to drill a ready-made concrete base for installation of the enclosing structure. To reduce the consumption of concrete solution, place in each layer broken bricks and stones.

Concrete is laid starting from the bottom step. Each poured layer must be carefully compacted to remove all voids. The protruding aggregate (bricks) must be compacted inward with a trowel or shovel. Using a level, the quality of the completed concrete laying is checked. Each layer should be allowed to dry before starting to fill the next one. The concreting work is completed by laying the mortar for the upper step and platform. The completed concrete structure must remain in the formwork for at least seven days.

If construction is carried out in the summer, concrete needs to be moistened periodically so that it does not dry out. After a week, the formwork is removed carefully by tapping the boards with a hammer so as not to damage the concrete base and, if necessary, the surface of the porch is polished.

If a porch with a canopy was designed, then support pillars for it, formwork is installed at the installation stage and filled with concrete.

Finishing work

Concrete porch finishing can be done 28 days after formwork removal. This is the period during which concrete gains its standard strength.

The simplest thing is to leave the concrete porch as is, or paint it with weather-resistant paint.

An interesting finishing option is pebble patterns, which you can make with your own hands while laying concrete. In this case, the time for making the porch will not increase much; you still need to give the layer time to dry.

Most often concrete steps and porch finished with clinker tiles with a special anti-slip coating.

Porcelain tiles, which are easy to lay with your own hands, look great when finishing the porch.

When choosing a finish, you need to remember that the building and porch must be made in uniform style and fit together in size.

Railings for a short staircase of no more than five steps may not be installed, but they are convenient for older people and give any porch a finished look. If think over the design of the railings and filling the space underneath them, then they can decorate entrance group and make it original.

When building a semicircular porch, the same stages of work are performed, only in the calculations the definition of the center of the circle is added and it is more difficult to make formwork for rounded steps.

That's all you need to know to answer the question of how to make a concrete porch with your own hands.