Sinking stair landing
#11
House is 30 years old whose side door exits onto a slope. Getting ready to redo the decking, rails and stairs and stair stringers. Issue is that the concrete landing has slipped down about 2 or 2.5 inches and the stairs aren't level (but not out all that much). You can see the original position of the slab on the wall. 

So as I see it there are three fixes....1) leave the slab alone and recut the stringers so the steps are level, 2) add another layer of concrete bonded to the original, bringing it back up to the original position, or 3) tear the old concrete out and start over (least desired).

What would you do?


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#12
Tear it out and redo
The concrete landing will continue to sink.
Not the easiest way, but will be the best in the long run.
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#13
(08-17-2021, 01:08 PM)joe1086 Wrote: House is 30 years old whose side door exits onto a slope. Getting ready to redo the decking, rails and stairs and stair stringers. Issue is that the concrete landing has slipped down about 2 or 2.5 inches and the stairs aren't level (but not out all that much). You can see the original position of the slab on the wall. 

So as I see it there are three fixes....1) leave the slab alone and recut the stringers so the steps are level, 2) add another layer of concrete bonded to the original, bringing it back up to the original position, or 3) tear the old concrete out and start over (least desired).

What would you do?

Make a PT platform and put a slight slope on it to shed water. If you leave a 1/4" space between the boards then make it level. 
I did something similar using PT decking boards. Even if the platform sinks more in the future, just shim it up again. 
mike
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#14
Shim it continually...?
Why not fix it right?
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#15
The general design looks dangerous to me.  Enclose the entry wth a roof,walls, and install a proper foundation; use interior lighting. 
There is only one railing and no protection from rain and ice. Use two round wood railings for safety, one on each side of the stairs. 
 The present wood railing type splinter with age.  Relandscape as required.
    Hire a good contractor. It will save you and future home owners much worry. The money spent will pay for itself.
Paul from the beautiful mid-coast of Maine (USA)
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#16
If it's sinking then you might have a drainage problem.  I'd investigate that first.  If water is getting under it a new one isn't going to fare any better over time.  If you find water is the problem then after you address that you could raise the existing landing by mud jacking, or add on to the top.  

John
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#17
Looks tight making the turn into the house upon reaching the deck.
If money permits, ripe it all out and increase the size of the deck.
Steve

Mo.



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#18
Looks like that door should have been a window!
VH07V  
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#19
Thanks all. I’m leaning towards ripping it out and redoing it. Pretty sure there are no footings there now and it is slipping down the hill a tiny bit every year. I’ll redo it with footings.
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#20
since it reads like the the stairs are getting rebuilt, id tear out the 'crete and run stairs to ground.
or
leave it there. cut new stringers to have stairs end at the end so youd still be stepping onto/from terra firma
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