7/2021 - Free standing stairs made easy

Staircase DIY

Need a neat and easy to install staircase? The Terraforce 4×4 Step block, a light, dry-stack concrete unit is ideally suited for efficient and economical steps, either in combination with the Terraforce L range blocks or for free standing staircases.

The completed steps. See step by step photo story below.

General guidelines

The step can be as wide as you wish; four blocks in a row will result in a flight 800 mm wide. With an overlap of 50 mm, a single block tread of 350 mm and a riser of 150 mm is obtained, although a double row will work well in a gentle slope and where the steps curve. After positioning the blocks, push mortar into the hollow of each block, but only if the blocks are supplied without the internal T-bar, dependent on the manufacturer.

Compact the soil behind each step and ensure that the ground is absolutely level before you start laying the next row of blocks. In some instances, it may be advisable to place a bedding layer of stabilised sand below the blocks (5% cement added).

Notes on installation of seating arenas: Notes on seating

NB: these notes apply to public seating arenas with the 4×4 Step blocks, a popular use of the blocks that developed over the last 10 years.

Step by Step staircase, Farm Olivia

In March this year, a farmer in in the Breede River Valley, Western Cape, South Africa, required some steps up to his concrete water reservoir. He chose to use the 4×4 Step blocks to create a comfortable step of stairs that allow him and his family better access to the water.