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Farmhouse on Boone

Farmhouse on Boone

Finding beauty in our everyday life in the farmhouse

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Home | Our Farmhouse | How to Cover Concrete Steps with Wood

How to Cover Concrete Steps with Wood

August 9, 2017 by Lisa 72 Comments

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Building wood steps over concrete steps made a huge impact for our farmhouse front porch renovation. Learn the process and materials we used to complete this project.

How to cover concrete steps with wood

Covering concrete steps with wood

How to Cover Concrete Steps with Wood landscaping update

When I was thinking through the details for our farmhouse front porch makeover, I knew from the very beginning we would want to do something to makeover the concrete steps.

At first I wanted to paint them white, but when we decided to replace all the porch flooring, I wanted the treads to match new wood. Also, I wasn’t sure it would be very practical to have white exterior steps. I saw a lot of power washing in our future!

So, we decided to find a way to cover the concrete steps with wood. I knew this would make them look brand new, and allow us to use the exact same wood for the treads as we had used for the porch flooring.

We also decided to make the steps wider, to make for a more grand entrance.

The whole process of building wood steps over concrete porch steps was way easier than I expected, and made such a dramatic difference.

I have already had tons of questions about our new steps, since revealing our farmhouse front porch makeover a few weeks ago, so I decided it was time to give a few more details on the project.

Obviously all porches are a little different, so the measurements and process will vary slightly, but my hope is that, by sharing photos of the process, my dear readers, or your contractors, can mimic the process and recreate the same look for your concrete steps.

concrete steps before wrapping with wood

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

The process

To begin this project, we purchased a couple of 4-Step Stair Stringers to put on the outside of the old steps. To make our stairs wider, we placed them about a foot out on either side of the stairs. We screwed four 1″ by 8″ treated yellow pine boards into the front of the stringers to create the new wood risers.

 

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

We ran the new wooden railings, which we used to replace the iron ones that were there before, just inside the new wood steps. The goal was to have the 6″ by 6″ beam at the bottom of the railing  line up with 6″ by 6″ porch support beam at the top.

I’m so glad we did, too, because I feel like it really opens the porch up and makes it look larger!

 

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

More photos

Here are more photos to give you a better idea of the process, and how everything was laid out before adding the treads.

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

how to wrap front porch concrete stairs with wood

For the treads, we used the same yellow pine deck board as we used for the porch floor.

On the first step, we had to trim one of the tread boards to 6″ wide,  so there wouldn’t be too much overhang. For the rest of the treads, the we pushed excess underneath the previous riser.

how to cover concrete steps with wood

I know my husband will make fun of me if he reads this post, because I grabbed my sewing measuring tape, instead of a proper tape measure. But, you get the point about the top treads. And if you look closely to the bottom right of the photo, you can see how we pushed the tread on the second step underneath the riser above it.

 

How to wrap concrete stairs with wood

Finishing up

The 1″ by 6″ Treated Pine Deck Boards on the bottom step had to be cut to fit around the bottom railing beam.

After the wood risers and treads were all screwed in, we finished the outsides with the same Plytanium Siding Panel that we used for the porch skirting. We cut it into the same shape as the stringers, except extended it all the way to the ground.

I like that it looks seamless with the rest of the porch skirting, as if they were always wood.

How to wrap concrete stairs with wood

To finish the project off, we painted the risers with Valspar White Semi-Gloss Exterior Paint and stained the treads with Olympic Maximum Transparent Deck Stain in Canyon Brown.

How to wrap concrete stairs with wood

I am so glad we went this route for our farmhouse front porch makeover. I venture to say it is the one thing in the renovation that made the most impact.

What do you think? Is this a project you would try? Let me know in the comments below. And thanks for stopping by the farmhouse!

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How to wrap concrete stairs with wood

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Filed Under: Builds, Our Farmhouse Tagged With: front porch, Renovations

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Comments

  1. Cindy says

    August 17, 2017 at 12:33 am

    Was the foundation concrete that you covered in the wood siding to match, and was your porch already wood or did it also start out concrete?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 21, 2017 at 12:51 am

      The porch was wood before, but we ripped everything out down to the beams.

      Reply
      • Barbara J. Price-Mills says

        March 20, 2021 at 5:35 pm

        I’m curious about your home’s area weather, do you have snow / cold weather? I want to do this but we live in CT and I’m worried about ice expansion popping the wood off the concrete. I’m thinking about trying anyway…your thoughts?

        Reply
  2. Kathi says

    August 18, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    Your steps and porch look beautiful!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 21, 2017 at 12:49 am

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  3. Kathleen says

    August 21, 2017 at 1:05 am

    Just love how the wood steps look! AND that beautiful new front door!!!
    I think the changes make the front elevation of your home look just stunning! They made a monumental difference in the look of your home!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 21, 2017 at 1:14 am

      Thank you so much Kathleen!

      Reply
  4. Dian says

    September 4, 2017 at 8:20 pm

    When I saw your pics of your home I thought that’s my house. I have always been troubled with our front porch. I did give it a face lift this summer. I like the way you covered the steps. Also your original front door is like ours. I did move our door to a closet door.
    Our home was my grandmother’s. I have lived here with my husband for almost 46 years.
    Thank you for your post!
    Dian

    Reply
  5. Linda says

    September 17, 2017 at 11:15 pm

    Yes, and the longer stairs across the front of the home make a very pleasant aesthetic

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 19, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      Thank you so much Linda!

      Reply
    • Linda says

      April 20, 2021 at 10:31 am

      I had this same idea in my head for my old chipped concrete steps. I am so glad I found your instructions. Now I know I am going to do it. I have 4 steps just like your. Thank you so much.

      Reply
  6. Heather says

    September 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm

    I love how you covered the concrete stairs, I’ve been wanting to do this with mine as well, do you have an estimate on what just the step project costs? I’m trying to see if this is budget-friendly! ?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 2, 2017 at 2:42 am

      Hmmm I would have to think about that one. I really don’t feel like the supplies for this were very pricey at all. It is hard for me to know for sure, since we did the whole porch project at one time. If you can do the work yourself, it is very economical!

      Reply
  7. Ines says

    October 13, 2017 at 5:31 am

    That is the best transformation i have ever seen. I really never had an idea that You could cover the cement stairs porch into the wooden one. And you changed the columns which made a huge difference and expanded the width of stairs.. Really impressive. Amazing change ! I came across your channel on youtube .. sauercraut 🙂 i was immediately impressed just how professional your videos are.. the way you spoke.. and here i am looking for your website. thumbs up !

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 13, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Thank you so much, Ines! I’m so glad you found me over there on YouTube. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your sweet comment. SO encouraging!

      Reply
    • Katrina says

      January 25, 2019 at 11:38 am

      You really shouldn’t cover your concrete steps with wood, it rots the wood really fast.

      Reply
  8. Lisa says

    October 14, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    how do you think the rotting factor will be since covering concrete with wood. do you fear moisture getting underneath causing the wood to premature rot and lastability?
    thanks!

    Reply
    • Jenn Olson says

      March 30, 2022 at 8:17 am

      this is what I want to know. I am going to be doing a similar project

      Reply
  9. Amy says

    October 18, 2017 at 7:41 pm

    Hi! Can you tell what material you used for the skirting around the house to cover the foundation?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 18, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      Yes! 🙂 I have it linked in this post http://farmhouseonboone.com/farmhouse-on-boone/lowes-curb-appeal-makeover-farmhouse-porch-reveal/

      Reply
      • Sonny Rodriguez says

        August 27, 2021 at 2:55 pm

        Was the top of your new wood risers even with the top of the concrete steps? Also, how did you attached the stringers?

        Reply
  10. Rick Cochrane says

    January 14, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    How did you connect the stair stringers to the concrete? And what supports them at the bottom of the steps?

    Reply
    • Corinne says

      April 7, 2018 at 9:27 am

      Yes, more details on this please.

      Reply
  11. Pat says

    January 26, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    Love the look

    Reply
  12. Sarah Plesich says

    February 20, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    This looks great! How long did you wait before treating the wood? I’ve put a deposit on work to have my concrete stairs covered with treated pine porch and they are telling me to wait a year to paint it!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      February 21, 2018 at 12:47 am

      Oh wow! I haven’t heard that. We painted it within a week.

      Reply
    • Julie says

      October 28, 2018 at 7:08 pm

      Everyone here says wait a year to paint pressure treated or salt treated wood.

      Reply
  13. Ishika says

    March 15, 2018 at 11:01 am

    The curb appeal your house has now! Wow. This is truly beautiful. I love houses that start off as fixer-uppers and turn out to be best looking on the block with some time, love, and attention. Not to mention the elbow-grease. 😀

    Reply
  14. Cindy waller says

    April 5, 2018 at 9:55 am

    Just lovely, what youve done. Im in middle of restoration of my craftsman bungalow, which yours apoears to be also? I did opt to keep the porch columns tapered as originally built, but rotting and years of paint. Was there a soecific reason you didnt? Just curious…!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 8, 2018 at 8:42 pm

      We didn’t just because we didn’t really know how to build new ones like the originals. The straight posts just seemed so much easier. I wish we could have salvaged the old ones, but they pretty much rotted out.

      Reply
  15. joejaramani says

    April 16, 2018 at 12:22 pm

    I’m sure you can find awesome woodworking plans on woodprix website

    Reply
  16. Jennifer says

    April 27, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    Hi we have all concrete steps for home entrance. I love your idea but my husband feels it is too complicated?. Do you have any other quick fixes. Help! Thank you so

    Reply
  17. Billp says

    June 13, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    I only have two concrete steps, a landing just out the back door and then one step. All this sets on a concrete foundation . I can’t see in my mind how to build it with wider steps and not too high for my wife to step onto

    Bill

    Reply
  18. Andi Presley says

    June 23, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    Hello,
    Very pretty !! Love !! We are currently fixing up our farmhouse and loved this idea . My husband was concerned about the moisture factor causing the boards to rot. Did you do anything to prevent this or have you had any problems with this ? Thanks for any advice you could give 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 28, 2018 at 9:07 am

      We haven’t noticed any issues with this. We didn’t do anything to prevent it.

      Reply
  19. Gail says

    June 27, 2018 at 4:55 pm

    I like the idea of covering our cement porch and step with wood. Our porch slopes, perhaps due to settling, and a wood porch would be a great solution. Now to persuade the guy who will be doing all the work….

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 28, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Haha its hard to convince the guys sometimes! 😉

      Reply
  20. Judi says

    June 28, 2018 at 7:05 am

    Looks fantastic.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 28, 2018 at 8:58 am

      Thanks Judi!

      Reply
  21. Linda says

    July 5, 2018 at 5:31 am

    Do you know the rise and run on the steps before, when they were concrete, and after? My concrete steps are too steep and was wondering if covering in them could make them less severe? Looks like they are?

    Reply
  22. Susan says

    August 1, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    It looks wonderful and we have a front verandah that is very similar to your porch, in South East Australia. But we will use a stained composite board as I have reached the age where each project is the last of its kind. Thanks for the great idea.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 4, 2018 at 3:07 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
    • Sue Lewis says

      February 21, 2019 at 9:02 pm

      Susan,
      We are looking to do this using composite boards as well, for the same reason. 🙂
      We will be covering a small concrete pad as well. Have you completed it yet? I would love to know how the composite worked for you.
      Thank you,
      Sue

      Reply
  23. Roger Rock says

    August 27, 2018 at 1:22 am

    This is amazing and very helpful tips on how to cover concrete steps with wood. Thank you for sharing this one!

    Reply
  24. Anne says

    September 10, 2018 at 8:33 am

    The difference is remarkable! I used to live in a farmhouse that had very badly worn concrete stairs – I would have definitely tried this solution. Love your blog!!

    Reply
  25. Malak Abdel-Hadi says

    September 17, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    can you leave instructions on how you made the deck for the porch? you instructions for the steps were spot on! just need to know how you did the porch, please!

    Reply
  26. Jessica says

    September 29, 2018 at 8:05 am

    How did you set the posts in the ground? Did you set them in concrete?

    Reply
  27. Meredith says

    October 5, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    Love, love, love this! I am unhandy but am going to build my wood steps this weekend! Thank you for sharing this and, hopefully, improving my curb appeal.

    Reply
  28. Wood Stairs Manufacturers says

    January 2, 2019 at 12:19 am

    Nicely done looks so much prestigious! thanks for sharing

    Reply
  29. Liz Green says

    February 3, 2019 at 6:25 am

    LOVE THIS!! And it’s so helpful…thank you! Our 116-year-old farmhouse has a curved concrete porch the goes from the front to the side, curious if this will work with it as the curve proves to be a bit tricky! Any tips?? I love this look, it’s just a dream…you did a great job!

    Reply
  30. Denise says

    May 22, 2019 at 5:29 pm

    Wow! How beautiful. I can’t get over the difference. Great job!

    Reply
  31. KAY says

    June 15, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    HIRED A MAN TO COVER CEMENT FRONT STEPS WITH WOOD HE HAS KJACKHAMMED A LOT OF THE CONCRETE DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT

    Reply
    • John Lin says

      May 26, 2020 at 5:02 am

      Thanks for ur valuable post. It’s very useful to us.
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  32. KAY COLLINS says

    June 15, 2019 at 7:49 pm

    TO COVER CEMENT STAIRS WITH WOOND DO YOU JACKHAMMER CEMENT

    Reply
  33. Site says

    April 27, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    WOW ! Nice job, steps look wonderful and really professionally done.
    Great article!

    Reply
  34. Concrete Paving says

    June 18, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    You guys really did a fantastic job on these steps. They really compliment the home in a big way. Good Job!

    Reply
  35. stephen field says

    July 26, 2021 at 5:37 pm

    Absolutely love it,what a turn around!
    How’s the wood weathered?

    Reply
  36. Genny Treacy says

    August 7, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    Hey! I am obsessed with this whole thing. I have a huge concrete porch no steps. How would that work? Do I need padding or something underneath the wood? I would love to send you a picture.

    Reply
  37. Kathleen says

    March 31, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    Ok, this is so incredibly helpful! Dying to now get this done over my concrete steps. This is stupid question, and I’ve googled it to death hah but how did you attach the stringers to the existing deck? I too have an existing wood deck so curious where the stringer attached. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  38. Susan says

    April 26, 2022 at 10:00 am

    I love this ! I am in the process of trying to find a contractor to do a concrete to wood porch and step….so this tutorial shows me the procedures and that it is possible.
    Thank you. Wish I were younger to attempt it myself !
    Questions: what type of maintenance is required. Is it slippery? Can you use rock salt ? Aluminum snow shovel? Did you need to use a sealer after painting.
    Susan

    Reply
  39. Kelly says

    May 6, 2022 at 6:46 am

    I can’t even stop staring. Your house is MY house. Almost every detail is the same and we are just starting the process of improving our porch. Your post gave us so much inspiration. I am just sitting here with my mouth hanging open because I can see so many similarities and now I can see so many opportunities! Thank you so much from a small town in KY! I love it!

    Reply
  40. Regan says

    May 21, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    In the gap from the old stairs and where you extended it on the sides, did you fill it in with anything or is it just dirt and space between the new wood siding and the old concrete stairs?

    Reply
  41. Scottie says

    June 8, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    I’ve been looking for a idea for my steps. I think yours will work for us . I’ll let you know how it turns out. What y’all did looks great.

    Reply
  42. Carol B. says

    September 1, 2022 at 12:09 pm

    I love it! Just added wood railings around small front porch. Trying to find cost effective/attractive way to cover chipped and leaning old brick steps. Your project looks great. Think I’ll give it a try. Wish me luck.

    Reply
  43. Laure says

    May 7, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    Question: how did you attach the steps to the existing porch? Also, what try of screws and such did you use? And lastly, what materials did you use for the handrail sides?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

Hello! I’m Lisa

I’m so glad you’re here! Join me and my family as we find beauty in our everyday life in the farmhouse: food from scratch, natural living and a handmade home.

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