Options for resurfacing concrete patios

Although we believe that SwiftDeck offers the easiest and best solution for resurfacing concrete patios, so you can make a more informed decision, we have listed below the most common options available for decorative concrete resurfacing.

Concrete resurfacing with dry mix or pre-mix

If you need to fill in cracks, depressions and other damage then you’ll firstly need to lay down at least a thin skim coat of concrete. All you need is Portland cement, medium or coarse sand and some water. If the concrete resurfacing layer is thicker than 1 inch, you may also need some small rounded pea gravel for the mix.

If you don’t want to mix your own concrete resurfacing material, then you can buy products that are in a bag or a bucket. Some of the pre-mixed products are very thin, and will not disguise serious holes or scaled areas in badly worn concrete. Concrete scaling happens when a top thin layer lifts off the concrete, and reveals the stones that are in the concrete mix.

Patio concrete staining

If you’re thinking of staining a concrete patio, make sure you buy a penetrating product, not a film former. Some products claim to be stains when in fact they are films that lay on top of the concrete like a paint. A true stain is a liquid material that has color particles floating in suspension. The color particles are so small that they soak into the material and color it without hiding the appearance or texture. Paints and film formers are not stains.

Acid and aniline dyes will produce, nice rich color. The effect is often marbleized or like that of grained leather. These are the most expensive and require caution during the application since you are working with an acid or a base.

Solvent based stains are similar to traditional wood stains. They use a hydrocarbon solvent to transport the stain color deep into the concrete. Some solvent stains can change color over time.

The newer water based and acrylic stains are more environmentally friendly and allow for some deep earth tones and pastels.

All of the stains require that the surface of the concrete be as clean as possible. All oil, dirt, and grease must be removed.

If you’re pouring a new slab and want to color it however, you should consider dry-shake color/hardeners. These are powdered pigments that are mixed with fine silica. The material is cast on top of concrete that has just been poured. The color is then worked into the surface with bull floats and trowels. This method can colorize the concrete to a depth of 1/8 inch or more.

If you’re planning to do the job yourself and it’s is a small area, you may be able to handle it. If it is a larger area then its probably better you hire someone with experience.

You only get one chance to do it right with patio concrete staining. If you make a mistake and do something wrong, your patio could end up looking terrible.

Patio concrete staining has some limitations. Don't expect it to hide surface imperfections or existing stains on your concrete. Many stains are semi-transparent in nature. If you want an even colored finished product, you must have a uniform colored concrete surface. Even with a seemingly perfect even colored concrete slab, you might experience minor color or shading variations.

With any stained job, you will have to periodically apply additional coats of stain. Sunlight, wear and tear, and the weather will cause the colors to fade with time. Depending upon your location and the amount of exposure to the sun the concrete receives, you might be manage 5 years between staining sessions.

Stenciled Concrete

This process uses a paper stencil to create a pattern in freshly laid concrete. The stencils are manufactured of heavy duty paper, cut into matrix patterns and usually available on rolls of approximately 1000 square feet in a wide variety of patterns.

The process involves three components. Firstly the paper stencil which provides the pattern, secondly a color hardener, and thirdly a sealer which is applied to the finished job to protect the surface from stains and enhance the color.

Stamped concrete patios

This process involves "stamping" or "impressing" three dimensional patterns into colored concrete with special stamping tools. When the stamping is complete, the product is then sealed, highlighting the colors and providing greater stain and weather resistance. The result is a surface that combines the beauty of masonry with the durability of concrete.

Some of the most common patterns for stamped concrete patios include slate, brick, granite, cobblestone, tile and flagstone. It is also common to use multiple patterns and colors together with custom bandwork, edges, and centrepieces.

Problems which can occur on stamped concrete patios include surface cracking, broken or chipped edges along pattern lines and inconsistent color. While these problems can be fixed, it can become expensive and involve more work than you may want to put in. And you will always see the repair marks. There is no way to patch or repair concrete without hiding that it has been patched.

Concrete Overlays

Polymer cement overlay is a combination of cement, various aggregates and proprietary hybrid polymer resins. The polymer resins greatly increase the performance characteristics and versatility of conventional cement materials.

Unlike conventional cement mixes, polymer cement overlays can be applied as thin as a single grain of sand or up to several inches thick. In addition, polymer cement overlays are much more resistant to damage from salt, petrochemicals, UV, harsh weather conditions and traffic wearing.

The main problems which can occur with concrete overlays is adhesion failure at the bond line which is almost always due to poor surface preparation and detailing of substrate slabs. For most thin polymer cement overlays, however, shot blasting is recommended.

Concrete resurfacing costs

For a typical patio, concrete staining materials including stain and wax can be purchased for as little as $0.25 per square foot, but special stain colors may cost $1 or more. More complex projects may require a specialty subcontractor or a skilled artisan.

The cost of a stamped concrete patio will vary according to the complexity of the pattern and finishes. Stamping a simple pattern onto colored concrete may add around $2 per square foot to a patio, but may require the use of a specialist. A project involving specialized admixtures, complex patterns, color hardeners, release agents and grout joints might increase the cost of a slab by $15 per square foot.

On average though, stamping and finishing generally adds $6 to $8 per square foot to the cost of concrete slab.

 The Swiftdeck alternative to concrete resurfacing

before

30 minutes later - during installation



finished job - close up