[rocketdoctor]

My remodel has moved the front door over and now I have a step from the porch that ends in the middle of the door entrance. I need to build a form to extend the door step another 4 feet not quite sure how I should do this.

I was thinking of just cutting down 2X6 lumber and boxing it on 3 sides and putting two pieces of rebar going one direction and another 2 the other.. maybe drilling into the existing step and insert the rebar into it? at what depth should the rebar be in the middle?

The step is on a concrete porch so is there anything I need to do to secure the wood to the porch to prevent concrete from seeping under form?

enclosed is a picture of the stoop in front of our temporary plywood door which shows hows its ending in the center.

Never built concrete forms before so need some help here

 

[Willie T]

You're right on. Center the rebar. And all you have to do about the run-under is pull the forms off (carefully) after a few hours when the concrete is stiff enough to take their removal, and (again CAREFULLY) take a putty knife to cut and scrape off the small areas of under-flow. A stiff, wet paint brush will help with the real gentle detail cleaning. Just don't wait till the concrete has gotten too hard. Any areas not smooth on the sides can be worked (rubbed) gently with a damp sponge till they look right.

But why a three-sided form box? Aren't you up against the big slab?

This is just an exploded view. It gets poured, all put together first.

 

[RegeSullivan]

It kind of looks like the old step was poured on the concrete porch. What is the chance you could remove the old step and pour a new. Even if it is part of the slab removing the old step might be easier than drilling the holes for re-bar. Also, I would fear the add on will always look like an add on.

Rege

 

[rocketdoctor]

funky add on accepted

It kind of looks like the old step was poured on the concrete porch. What is the chance you could remove the old step and pour a new. Even if it is part of the slab removing the old step might be easier than drilling the holes for re-bar. Also, I would fear the add on will always look like an add on.

Rege

thanks for the advice, however Ive got sooo much to do and so little money and time that I'll have to risk it then spending more time to tear out old step. It could be easy but chances are it would go like everything else on this project and become a nightmare, to add onto it my new door is suppose to be installed today and Im sure I would damage it trying to break out that step.

I am pretty sure its going to look like a funky add on, the plan is to eventually tile the porch and step to cover this.

thanks again

 

[RegeSullivan]

In that case I would not use the re-bar into the old step. Use expansion material between the old and new but drill into the slab and epoxy in so re-bar so the new step is anchored well. When you tile the step in the future where the old and new come together will be an expansion joint and you will fill it with sealer that matches the grout as closely as possible. Otherwise you will need to use a substrate that will be expensive. If you do not the tile will crack where the old and new step meet.

Rege

 

[rocketdoctor]

so how should I do this? should I drill 4 holes into slab and bend two pieces of rebar running length of step to fit holes and then lay a couple more perpendicular on top?

 

[RegeSullivan]

Bend two pieces into an "L" shape and epoxy the long part leg of the "L" into the Slab. Try to get the short part of the "L" just above the mid point of the new slab but be sure at least 1" of concrete will cover the re-bar.

 

[Willie T]

In that case I would not use the re-bar into the old step. Use expansion material between the old and new but drill into the slab and epoxy in so re-bar so the new step is anchored well. When you tile the step in the future where the old and new come together will be an expansion joint and you will fill it with sealer that matches the grout as closely as possible. Otherwise you will need to use a substrate that will be expensive. If you do not the tile will crack where the old and new step meet.

Rege

I've got to caution on doing this. The porch may not be anchored to the house slab now. If you tie into the slab with the "add-on" step, it may not remain at the same level as the existing stoop if that stoop moves any (in relationship to the house slab)... no matter if the house slab and porch slab happen to shift apart some.

If, on the other hand, you tie the existing step and the new "add-on" together solidly with rebar, (really not that difficult to drill in), the entire step (stoop) will remain one continuous slab that will retain an identical profile and surface plane when tiled over.

 

[RegeSullivan]

I completely agree with you rocketdoctor and that's my point in my second post. If you do not start by removing the original step and we do not know how that step is tied in keeping the new step independent will solve any issues with minor movements.

Rege