Concrete Step Leveling vs. Step Replacement in New Jersey
The majority of concrete step settlement in New Jersey originates at the base of the step structure rather than at the top risers. Steps are typically constructed over a compacted fill base, and that base is particularly vulnerable to water erosion because it sits at a low point on the property where roof runoff, downspout discharge, and grade drainage naturally converge. Consistent water concentration at that point carries soil particles from beneath the base over successive seasons until the step structure is no longer in full contact with the ground beneath it, at which point it begins to tip forward.Homes with original step structures from the 1960s and 1970s are disproportionately affected because construction practices of that period often placed steps on minimal compacted base material with no drainage provision beneath or beside the structure.
