Fix Loose Bricks on Stairs

Learn how to fix loose bricks on stairs. Find out how to purchase a Quikrete product that bonds brick.

LESLIE: Cheryl in Michigan listens in to The Money Pit on WHAM. I just like to say it, Cheryl. (Tom laughs) Welcome. What can we do for you?

CHERYL: Last year we had some brick work done and the fellow did a little patio and some steps up into our yard. And this year – you know, after going through the winter – we discovered that four bricks in the center of one of the steps were loose. So we got some liquid nails and, you know, tried to fasten them down. And one of them didn’t fasten down. But then I started to wonder if he maybe left them loose for a reason.

TOM: The steps or the bricks are loose on the steps?

CHERYL: The brick like in the center of the step. Not at any of the edges.

TOM: The only reason to leave loose bricks on a step is to assure that someone is going to break their neck. (Leslie and Cheryl chuckle) I don’t think that there was a reason for that.

CHERYL: Well, I wondered if, you know, maybe the freeze and thaw thing; you know, that maybe if some of them would move a little bit that it would keep the whole step from ending up breaking.

TOM: No. No reason for that. And I’ve got to tell you that using a glue adhesive like that is probably not the best material. QUIKRETE has a product called bonding adhesive that’s specifically designed to repair loose steps and things like that. But Liquid Nails is a product that, to the best of my knowledge, is only effective for gluing, you know, paneling and drywall and things of this nature …

CHERYL: Sure.

TOM: … pretty much inside the house. I wouldn’t use it on concrete myself.

CHERYL: Oh, OK.

TOM: I would use one of the QUIKRETE products like the bonding adhesive …

LESLIE: Mm-hmm.

TOM: … and mix that up properly. Follow the label directions and then seal down those bricks. And now is a perfect time to do it. You don’t want to wait until it’s too cold because it’s not going to set nearly as well.

CHERYL: Right. Right. Well, it should be getting warmer. (chuckles)

TOM: Yeah, it’s the season. So get to it, Cheryl.

CHERYL: Yeah.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.