- 1). Hire an inspector to examine any damage to the steps to make sure there are no serious structural issues before refinishing them.
- 2). Dress in clothes that cover as much bare skin as possible. Put on a pair of safety glasses and heavy gloves.
- 3). Remove any jagged or large, broken pieces of concrete from the steps by chiseling them away with a small sledgehammer and cold chisel.
- 4). Squeeze siliconized latex caulk into any small cracks. Smooth the surface with a small putty knife. Trowel cement patch into larger holes or divots. Apply an initial 3/8-inch-thick coat. Once this sets, trowel on a second coat to bring these areas level with the rest of the pavement. Smooth the patches with the flat face of the trowel. Allow the caulked and patched areas to dry thoroughly for 24 to 48 hours.
- 5). Create a V-shaped engraving onto all of the vertical surfaces of the steps using the sledgehammer and chisel. This texturing will hold the new layer of decorative cement in place. Brush a thin, even coating of cement bonding agent over all the visible surfaces of the steps using a large paintbrush.
- 6). Use a clean trowel to apply a layer of the prepared decorative cement to the steps. Just as you did with the cement patch, make this first layer about 3/8-inch thick. Cover all of the visible surfaces with the cement. Use the flat side of the trowel to smooth it. Cure this layer of cement for two hours.
- 7). Trowel on a second coat of decorative cement, making each step as wide and deep as you desire. Smooth the surface of the cement again with the trowel, bringing out as much moisture as possible so it can evaporate. Let the cement sit for 30 minutes.
- 8). Use a large tarp to cover the resurfaced steps. Allow the decorative cement to cure for one week. Each day, pull back the tarp and lightly spray down the steps with water from a garden hose. Replace the tarps after each dampening.
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