Angel of the Front Steps

Angel of the Front Steps
November 12, 2005

The bottom step leading to our front door cracked apart last Winter. There isn't much you can do about this in the Winter other than try to warn people away from it. I did this by placing a plastic statue of an angel in repose on top of the broken piece, hoping that the mailman or paper boy (or girl) wouldn't step in that spot and break his or her respective neck.

As soon as the weather got warm enough to use mortar this past April I made an attempt to repair the stone step. It was my first time working with mortar and I was surprised at how solid the resulting joint was. Aside from not using enough colorant I think I did a passable job. But by now the angel had become a fixture on our steps, and I figured it would be wise to steer visitors away from the repaired piece until we know the joint is going to hold in the long term. This Winter will provide a real test.