Ok, I've got a concrete area, not level, outside my door with tatty repairs in it - can I make it look good?

Question

There is a slope to the concrete (which is fine because it slopes towards a drain) but it looks very patchy. There aren't any cracks in it because I think it was laid well but over the years drains etc have been moved and now it's all looking a bit grim. Can you skim over the whole surface with more concrete or do you have to dig it all up?

Answer 1

You can skim over but it's a matter of time before it cracks on you.
If I were you I'd go for the rustic look and put in a whole bunch of plants in pots - make it a feature not an eyesore.

Or build up a lip at the bottom with concrete and cover the area with gravel or decorative stones.

Answer 2

You can restain the concrete. There are commercial products made and available from MAB paints and SherwinWilliams to restain concrete. Cost is about $15./20 a gallon for this material and it works well.

What i like better and use on my concrete patio about every two years is a mix of portland cement and ordinary latex paint. I usually use the white paint discards and make a mix of about 1 quart of paint to 3 quarts of portland cement and add water to make a consistency of thick paint. The color turns out almost like real as poured concrete.

Then i continually stir this mixture and roll it onto the surface with a roller on a dark damp cool day. Let it set overnight and it will bond like iron to the concrete. I have never had this peel off or flake. It just seems to wear off and and about every 2 or 3 years i give the concrete another coat.

Of the two discussed, restaining with MAB concrete stain , or the mix above, the MAB concrete stain is far superior and lasts a lot longer, however, the mix above is really dirt cheap and it last 3 years so that is why I use that mix.

Answer 3

The best visual make over would be with "Granno", however the strongest repair would be made by using "Cement Grout" (not tile Grout). This would glue the existing concrete together and also fill any voids below any joints to underpin the existing surface.
Maybe the best solution would be to Grout up any joints and then to float off a 1 inch Granno layer over the top of everything to finish off.
Concrete topping alone would be too weak as the aggregate would be too large. Granno has a smaller "Grit" like aggregate that adds strength to the thinner layer. Granno can also be used to repair existing floors within buildings. It is even strong enough to drive a car on and park!. The best bond is achieved if the existing substrate is treated with a watery PVA wash prior to laying the Granno. Let it dry, but only until tacky and then lay the Granno on top.

Answer 4

dont skim over it ..it will lift in the first frost ..why not fix either tiles or thin paving slabs over the area ..make sure the tiles are frostproof

Answer 5

that's what i would do, just skim over the lot with more concrete

Answer 6

Dig it up and start from scratch ,it will be well worth it in the end.

Answer 7

Anything can be fixed

God Bless

Answer 8

Whack some purple shale all over it.