Beveled Step Riser Forms
Cutting the bottom edge of concrete step forms at 45 degrees so a float can reach the whole tread below while the form stays in place.
Get a Concrete Form Off Cleanly by Coating It With Oil Before You Pour
Wood forms bond to concrete as it cures, so pulling the screws isn't enough — the form itself sticks to the slab. Spray or wipe the form's inside faces with an oil-based product like WD-40 before you pour, and the form releases clean once the concrete sets.
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The Problem
Concrete forms are only screwed together, but the concrete itself bonds to the wood as it cures. Backing out the screws doesn't free the form — it stays stuck to the slab, and prying it off risks chipping the fresh edge or tearing splinters out of the wood.
The Technique
- Before you pour, coat the inside faces of the form — every surface that will touch concrete — with an oil-based product. WD-40 works; mineral oil or vegetable oil work too.
- Pour and finish the concrete as normal.
- Once the concrete has cured enough to hold its shape, back out the screws and pull the form. The oil film keeps the wood from bonding to the concrete, so the form comes away clean instead of sticking.
What You'll Need
An oil-based product to coat the form — WD-40, mineral oil, or vegetable oil all work. Nothing else beyond your normal form-building screws and lumber.
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