First the concrete slab will be flat providing you with a level landing to build your stairs on.
Pouring a concrete slab for deck stairs.
A typical pad has a 4 inch layer of gravel underneath and about 4 inches of concrete on top.
Wet concrete on skin can cause everything from mild redness to third degree permanently disfiguring chemical burns.
When pouring the slab you should take into account where the base of the staircase will be located and pre install anchor fittings that can be attached to the.
Use the slab calculator to figure the concrete needed for the porch surface.
Steps seem tricky to calculate but are not.
Planning for the deck when pouring the slab.
You and your.
Use the footing calculator to calculate the sides of the porch and the steps.
But if you ve never done it before pouring a slab can be a little intimidating.
Pouring a concrete slab.
Using a concrete slab yes i believe pouring a concrete slab is your best option for a few reasons.
Pouring concrete slabs isn t something most people do everyday.
Second the slab will be stable and large enough to support your staircase.
If there are three steps leading up to a porch.
The bulk of the work for a new slab is in the excavation and form building.
Here is an example.
When building a landing for deck stairs typical codes require the pad to extend beyond the steps about 36 inches behind the steps about 12 inches and on the sides of the steps about 6 inches.
If you have to level a sloped site or bring in a lot of fill hire an excavator for a day to help prepare the site.
If you ve ever watched someone who pours slabs for a living they can make it look really easy.
Pouring a concrete slab yourself can be a big money saver or big mistake.
Then figure on spending a day building the forms and another pouring the slab.
Pouring a concrete slab is easy if you ve done it hundreds of times like we have.
We show you the best techniques and tools so you get concrete forms right the first time.
Pouring and finishing concrete slabs editor justin fink and builder chris aherns build a code compliant landing for the stairs on this project house deck.