Salt-eaten front steps stripped, rebuilt & flake-coated in Toronto
Job Front step restorationSystem Polyaspartic full flakeColour “Dolerite”Railings Removed & reinstalledArea Toronto, ON
In one paragraph: Concrete Repair Plus restored a salt-damaged concrete front stair on a Toronto street. The failed surface was stripped back to sound concrete, the spalled treads and broken step edges were repaired and rebuilt to their original profile, and every surface, treads, risers, landing and step ends, was finished in a polyaspartic full flake coating in the “Dolerite” blend. The railings were removed before the work and reinstalled after. Projects like this are priced to the stair, riser count, concrete rebuilding and railings set the number, in writing before work starts.
BeforeAfter
◂ drag to compare, same stair, same angle ▸
What was going on
This is what a Toronto winter does to a front stair. The before photo was taken in the middle of it, snow banked on the treads, ice-melt scattered across every step, and underneath it all a surface that had given up: worn hollows in the middle of the treads where everyone walks, dark salt staining, and step edges breaking away.
None of that is a paint problem. Bare concrete is porous, so salt-laden meltwater soaks into the surface, refreezes, and expands, and every freeze-thaw cycle takes a little more of the top layer with it. That is spalling, and a city walk-up gets the worst of it because it is salted hard all winter and never gets a season off.
The concrete underneath was still sound, so the stair did not need tearing out. We stripped the failed surface back, rebuilt the spalled treads and broken edges to their original profile, and finished every surface, treads, risers, landing and the step ends, in a polyaspartic full flake coating in the “Dolerite” blend. It reads as grey granite rather than paint, it has real texture underfoot, and it is UV-stable and built for exactly the salt and freeze-thaw that wrecked the original.
The railings came out first and went back in at the end, so the coating runs clean and unbroken underneath every post instead of being cut around it, no ragged edge, and nowhere for water to sit at the base of a post.
What a job like this costs
Priced to the stair
Every stair is different, the number of risers, how much concrete has to be rebuilt, and whether railings and a landing are in scope all change the number, which is why we price each stair individually instead of publishing a range. Send us a photo of yours and we will give you a real number, in writing.
What moves the number
How much concrete is goneSurface loss and structural loss are different jobs. What the old surface hides decides which one yours is.
Whether the steel is involvedRust staining means the clock has started. Removal back to clean material and steel treatment widen the scope.
Number of treads and edgesEvery tread, nosing and exposed edge is rebuilt to profile by hand, the count drives the labour.
Railings out and back inRemoved and reinstalled as part of the work; any new steel or welding is its own visible line.
The finish you chooseSealing, resurfacing and a full flake system are three different numbers, priced as options rather than assumed.
How this job went
Step 1
Assess & quote
A look at how far the salt damage actually goes, what the treads and edges need, and a written quote before anything starts.
Step 2
Railings out, surface off
The railings are removed and set aside, then the failed surface is stripped back to sound concrete across treads, risers and the landing.
Step 3
Rebuild the concrete
Spalled treads and broken step edges are repaired and rebuilt to their original profile, so the stair gets its shape back before anything decorative goes on.
Step 4
Coat & flake
Polyaspartic base, a full broadcast of the "Dolerite" flake blend, then a sealed topcoat, every walking surface plus the step ends, for one continuous finish.
Step 5
Cure & reinstall
The railings go back in through the finished coating and the stair goes back into service, ready for boots, salt and a shovel.
Questions homeowners ask about salt-damaged steps
How much does it cost to restore front steps in Toronto?
It depends on the stair: the number of risers, how much concrete has to be rebuilt, and whether the railings and landing are in scope, so no flat range fits every stair. Each one is priced individually. Send a photo of your stairs and you get a real figure, in writing.
Can salt-damaged concrete steps be saved, or do they need replacing?
Most can be saved. Road salt attacks the surface paste first, so a stair that looks ruined is often sound underneath with a badly spalled top layer. Once the damaged surface is taken off and the treads and edges are rebuilt, a flake coating gives it a new wearing surface. Replacement only becomes the right call when the stair has structurally failed or moved.
Why did the salt do this to my steps in the first place?
Bare concrete is porous. Salt-laden meltwater soaks in, then refreezes and expands, and each freeze-thaw cycle breaks a little more of the surface away. That is spalling. City front stairs get the worst of it because they are salted hard all winter and they never get a break from the traffic. An unsealed, uncoated stair is the one that loses.
Do the railings have to come off?
On this job they did, and it is the right way to do it. With the railings out, the coating runs clean and unbroken underneath every post instead of being cut around it, no ragged edges, and no gap for water to sit in at the base of a post. They go back in once the coating has cured.
Will a flake coating be slippery on stairs in winter?
A full flake broadcast leaves a textured, profiled surface rather than a smooth one, so it grips better than bare trowelled concrete when wet or icy. Stairs are exactly where that texture earns its keep, which is why the flake goes across the full tread rather than stopping short of the nosing.
Can I still salt the steps afterwards?
Yes. Polyaspartic full flake is built for exterior Ontario conditions, freeze-thaw, road salt and snow shovels. That resistance is the whole reason we use it on a stair instead of a cementitious overlay or a deck paint, both of which come apart once water gets behind them.
What colour is on these steps?
The flake blend is "Dolerite", a grey granite look with black and white in it. It reads as stone rather than paint, it hides the dirt a front stair collects off a city sidewalk, and it is UV-stable so it holds that colour in direct sun.
Other jobs on record
Every job below is a real Concrete Repair Plus project with the same record behind it: what was failing, what we did about it, the system that went on, and what work at that scale typically costs.
Huge shout out to this company. Our concrete porch was showing significant wear and tear and we wanted to take action before a total rebuild would have been required. The team at Concrete Repair Plus was extremely patient, came to the house several times to provide a quote and share Graniflex samples, did fantastic work and (bonus) actually refused payment until every last touch up was complete on our newly finished porch (which looks amazing, BTW). We had spoken to other repair companies but did not love that they used "in-house" epoxy porch repair coatings for which we could not find industry info / reviews. Very happy we chose Concrete Repair Plus to refinish our porch with the Graniflex system, a well-known and very well reviewed product. Thank you!
We redid our porch and the process was seemless from asking for a quote, to scheduling the work, and then the work itself. The workers were friendly and knowledgeable so made the whole process easy for us. Reasonably priced compared to others we compared to and very happy with the final product. Would use them again!
Needed to repair a concrete porch and steps in Vaughan for a detached home, they did a fantastic job prepping and repairing then using the graniflex system. from quote to scheduling everything was easy! All the neighbours were coming over to check it out and say it looks fantastic. Definitely elevated and refreshed the homes curb appeal.
I contacted Concrete Repair Plus a few weeks ago to tear-out and repour a concrete porch and steps leading up to the front of my house in North York. I contacted them after having an awful experience with a previous concrete contractor who took my deposit and strung me around for over a month, never to return. The level of care and respect I received from Concrete Repair Plus was incredible. After explaining the situation I was in, they sent me Nick and his crew (Jeremy and Milton) and told me I would be in good hands; they were absolutely right.
Nick was so respectful; always taking the time to ensure he messaged me exactly when he was coming and what he'd be doing. He had a vision for how this job would look and made sure to include me in the planning of it come time for the formwork. Watching Nick work with Milton and Jeremy was really something. They paid attention to small details: perfect corners on the steps, a gentle slope to drain water away from the house, the first step that meets the driveway was deep enough to be paved around properly, the really nice full broom finish. The form work was done so meticulously, ensuring that the final product would be perfect. Milton and Jeremy always cleaned up at the end of every day, leaving the site looking better than when they arrived. And they were just such nice guys too. What more could I ask for?
It's now been a couple of weeks since the job was finished and it looks fantastic. I couldn't be happier with the result!
I'm looking forward to contacting them again for any future projects.
Excellent experience with Concrete Repair Plus! They removed the old concrete jewel stone finish from our porch and applied a Graniflex System, and the results look fantastic. The crew was professional, efficient, and paid great attention to detail. They took great care to remove and reinstall the existing railing, protect the surrounding property, and cleaned everything up when the job was finished. I highly recommend Concrete Repair Plus and will definitely call on them again - Scarborough, ON
Our experience with Concrete Repair Plus was nothing short of exceptional. The crew was extremely professional, on-time and neat. Finished product was above expectations. Crew was knowledgeable and kept us informed all the way through the process. Equipment used was best-in-class.
We would strongly recommend Concrete Repair Plus to anyone thinking about replacing their garage slab or interested in doing concrete repairs. Pricing was competitive. We would use them again.
I recently had Concrete Repair Plus at my residence in Whitby to remove and replace the 66 year old garage floor. It was explained to me that it was not a good idea to grind and epoxy the floor but complete replacement was the way to go. The price was reasonable and the advice was excellent.
Staff were on site had the floor removed and repoured the same day.
The driveway was covered to prevent concrete spills/splashes.
Saw cuts were completed next day.
We are now in the process of covering the walls to clean it up.
Definitely a five out of five and I would recommend you reach out for a quotation.
We have owned our home for over 40 years and needed to change the garage floor. Last week Concrete Repair Plus removed the old garage floor and replaced it with a new one. The work was done in 2 days. Their team was professional and courteous, and the price was reasonable. We give them 5 stars.
R. Fawcett
Mississauga
July 2026
I had these guys out to my property in Bowmanville to do a complete garage floor replacement, and boy am I glad I did. They did an excellent job on the entire project and after one little hiccup they went WELL above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied with the final product. My polished concrete floor looks amazing. Never realized how much better polished concrete can look versus epoxy. I wouldn't hesitate to use Concrete Repair Plus if I ever have another concrete project again
