Materials to Install a Blue Stone to a Step

Add blue stone to existing concrete steps to dress them up.

Blue stone durability and stability make it a good choice for your front landing steps, where outdoor weather and frequent use can test any home exterior step surface. But don't spend money creating a new step entrance for your home; add blue stone to existing steps instead. Materials needed to install this type of stone to an existing structure are less costly than creating new steps from scratch.

Warning

Don't place your stone step risers and treads directly on top of existing steps without first adding an adhesion in order to keep them attached. They may be heavy enough to sit atop a flat surface -- such as the ground -- and not move much, but sitting on top of your existing steps is more dangerous because they could still be moved as people climb them.

Options

Cutting of larger blue stones to riser or tread size for your steps requires the use of additional materials. You can dry- or wet-cut your stone; wet cutting reduces potential airborne dust. For wet cutting, use a power cutter with a diamond-grit blade, according to Popular Mechanics. This machine costs between $100 and $150 to rent per day. Use scrap lumber as the cutting surface used. For dry cutting, use a circular saw with a masonry blade.

Riser Material

You need cement and sand to create your own mortar mix as an adhesive for the risers on your steps. If you're uncomfortable mixing up your own batch, you can buy this material ready-made. You need a trowel for use in applying the mortar compound and water mixture onto the existing step structure before you can add the blue stone riser pieces. The trowel helps remove any excess mortar that oozes from below or the sides of the riser once positioned.

Tread Material

You can use the same trowel and cement mortar mix materials on the blue stone tread base as you did for the blue stone riser additions. If blue stone slabs aren't used as your tread, you need another tool as well when installing blue stone pieces onto the old structure: a leveler. Make sure each new step made of blue stone pieces is level by using the leveler tool. An uneven foot step surface can cause falls.

References

• Paver Search: Installing Natural Bluestone Pavers - Bluestone Pavers Installation Guide
• Popular Mechanics; Make Your Own Bluestone Walkway; Joe Provey; Oct. 2009
• Landscape Design Advice: Bluestone Steps, Solid Bluestone or Fieldstone
• Delaware Quarries, Inc.: How to Build Stone Covered Steps
• Popular Mechanics: Build Your Own Natural Stone Patio