How to fix this concrete step?

Suzann
by Suzann
Hi there!
We recently took down an ugly front porch and found this concrete step underneath. It looks like at one time there was outdoor carpet glued to it, and still has glue on it. Does anyone know how to remove the glue, know what we can do to fix it? Thanks!
  10 answers
  • there are adhesive removers with a sharp putty knife or other tool that you can find at Lowes and Home Depot. It is very hard to remove old adhesive. You may want to use a grinder to grind down the glue. If all else fails, you can use muriatic acid and clean the concrete well and paint it with a good concrete/cement paint for porches, etc.
  • Jackie Jackie on Aug 22, 2013
    Beware of muratic acid---read instructions carefully. I think I would just put down some more indoor/outdoor carpet and cover the whole thing up again. Just glue the edges.
  • At some better rental shops you can rent a scarifier which resembles a floor sanding machine. Instead of sand paper it has a special grinding wheel attached on the bottom that scrapes the cement until its level and clean. It is a fairly heavy machine to use, but it will remove all the old paint and glue in short order. For the corners where the machine will not fit a hand grinder with a stiff wire brush (be sure to wear eye protection) will remove where the machine will not reach.
  • Elite Crete of Indiana Elite Crete of Indiana on Aug 23, 2013
    30/40 or even 100 grit diamond cup grinder will make for quick removal. A nice overlay would really sharpen your curb appeal. You can contact Elite Crete Systems by emailing info@elitecrete.com They will then forward your request to the local branch office to service you.
  • You are lucky, the outdoor carpet was installed with an interior latex adhesive and is fairly easy to remove. Wet the adhesive with water, scrape the adhesive with a 4" or 5" razor blade scraper. You are looking to remove the notched ridges and loose scaly adhesive down to a well bonded residue. If you intend to resurface the concrete do not use a chemical adhesive remover as it's residue is a bond breaker for most overlays and muratic acid will not touch the adhesive.
  • Louise Fulton Louise Fulton on Sep 06, 2014
    You could also just put down interlocking stones, which would raise it a bit and look quite nice.
  • Stefan Stefan on Feb 25, 2015
    Get an estimate on what it cost to have a person to sand blast it. Sometimes it's cheap because the person that does it may not live far away and can do it at a reasonable cost.
  • Jim Saurman Jim Saurman on Apr 15, 2016
    I would just scrape, sand, and wirebrush it until the adhesive residue is gone. They have wirebrushes that go in a drill which are useful for these types of situations. If the surface has any sort of holes or gaps or gouges, there are bunches of leveling products you can use to level the surface. Then you can finish it however you would like. They have concrete stain, or concrete paint, or you could put down some sort of nice tile. It's a small area so it wouldn't be very expensive.
  • Alonzo Bozman Alonzo Bozman on Jan 05, 2021

    You can also put tile over the piece of porch because it is small. I used some backsplash tiles as well to give it a custom look.

  • Joan Stanley Joan Stanley on Jan 06, 2021

    Muriatic Acid may clean it off, ruff it up for traction and prep it for a nice concrete paint. Home improvement stores should be able to advise you.

    Muriatic Acid is not to be trifled with. Be careful.