If you’re aiming for an Old World look, consider using an Old World technique. In early modern Britain, houses were primarily built using stone, brick, timber, or gravel/earth. During this time, builders developed methods to enhance buildings’ durability and beauty. This era featured ornamental ironwork, stained glass, and elegant brickwork. In Scotland, builders invented a technique to give buildings a unique, fashionable textured coating without expensive materials. This method, known as pebbledash, involved spreading small chips of flint or other native stone over a sticky layer of mud, lime, and straw (known as cob). It was a popular way to decorate building facades for centuries.
Today, pebbledash can be found across Britain in famous structures like The Orchard at Chorleywood, as well as many private homes across the region. Modern pebbledash uses cement instead of cob but remains a charming way to add texture to an otherwise plain surface. You can add personality to cement steps with pebbledash.
DIY Pebbledashing on Cement Stairs
Cement is very utilitarian and an integral part of most home constructions, but many homeowners feel their façade is marred by unattractive or plain concrete stairs. Natural Habitat Landscaping, based in Scotland, demonstrates how homeowners can DIY pebbledash cladding for a cement surface and completely transform an entry point. While this is intensive and time-consuming work, it is worth it: if done correctly, you will have an incredibly durable surface. Note, however, that pebbledash is typically used as siding, not as a walking surface. It is possible to install a walkable pebble surface, but it requires specialized sealants and unique technologies to make the stone durable enough to walk on.
The process of pebbledashing is fairly straightforward. Allocate a few days to a couple of weeks for your project, depending on the scale of the area you wish to pebbledash. A standard entryway staircase should fall somewhere in the middle of this range. The stairs should be dry at the time of application, and ensure the cement is not severely damaged or uneven, as such flaws may require professional repair. Next, prepare a cement mixture (you can use regular Ordinary Portland cement) and mix according to the packaging instructions to create what is known as a scratch coat. A stucco scratch coat requires essentially the same technique. Once the scratch coat is ready, it’s time to apply the pebbles.
Pick Your Pebbles
Traditionally, pebbledash decoration used small stones or stone chips found around a building site. Today, you can use any small, hard natural materials to pebbledash a surface. For example, a variation known as “seashell stucco” uses broken bits of shells. However, if you are a first-timer at this DIY, we recommend choosing a fairly uniform and easy-to-use small stone, like standard all-purpose pea gravel. Keep an eye on stores like Home Depot for great deals on pea gravel. To apply the stones to the prepared surface, simply scoop and toss them to make them stick. There are plenty of TikTok videos showcasing DIYers enjoying this part of the process.
When finished, you will have a textured surface that should last for many years. However, this is not only a benefit of pebbledash — it is also the most common complaint about it. In the United Kingdom, especially, pebbledash was very popular from the 1920s to the 1950s, leading a generation of Brits to view the cladding as cheap and outdated. The biggest issue is that it’s incredibly difficult to remove without damaging the underlying surface. Should you decide to change your pebbledash cladding, one popular option is to paint over it.
