Concrete Contractors

Concrete Porch Resurfacing

A stamped concrete porch. Source: Flickr - jtgeneralcement

Concrete is a durable, attractive surface, that’s great for outdoor areas like porches and patios. However, over time your concrete porch can develop cracks, become discolored and lose its appeal. But don’t worry; damaged concrete can easily be repaired with resurfacing. It’s a much quicker way to improve your concrete, and it’s much less expensive than installing an entirely new porch.

What is Concrete Resurfacing?

Concrete resurfacing is a process in which a thin layer of polymer or a concrete-like mix, known as an overlay, is applied to concrete. The overlay is similar to concrete and fills in the gaps and cracks, and polishes over scratches and other unsightly areas. Once the overlay is applied, your concrete surface will look like new.

Resurfacing your existing concrete is a great opportunity to make other improvements. If you’ve wanted to dye your concrete a different color but feared doing so because it was in bad shape, or you’ve wanted to improve the plain look of your porch’s surface with concrete stamping – now you can. For color, you can either use pigmented overlay or dye, and you can stamp the overlay before it dries. While you’re at it, you might consider hiring a landscaper to improve the look of your yard, and plant flowers that complement your new porch as well.

What’s Involved?

First, your concrete contractor will need to prepare the surface. Your concrete porch can only be resurfaced if it’s clean and smooth. That means all loose and weak concrete will need to be removed, and the surface will need to be power washed. In addition, in order for the overlay to bond to the existing surface, a layer of cement paint will need to be applied to the old concrete, over which the overlay will be applied.

With the help of your concrete contractor, you’ll need to determine what level of thickness you’ll want your overlay to be. The new layer can be as thin as 1/16th of an inch, or as thick as 1 inch. Be aware, however, that thinner layers allow more to show through. So if you have major cracks and issues with your existing surface, you’ll want a thicker layer to cover them up.

Tips

It’s best to resurface your concrete when temperatures are between 50˚F and 60˚ F. According to Dallas, Texas concrete contractors, if temperatures reach high levels, water will evaporate from the surface of the concrete faster, and cause the concrete to stiffen earlier, potentially leading to cracking. If you need to install concrete in hot weather, fog sprays are available which can be applied to create moisture and prevent the overlay from drying too quickly. Freezing temperatures are also no good, because the concrete will be too hard to apply.

It’s also important to make sure your porch’s expansion and control joints are not sealed. These are gaps which allow the concrete to expand and contract without cracking. Your concrete contractor should cover the joints with tape or some other material to keep them from getting sealed when the overlay is applied.

Be sure to contact an experienced concrete contractor so that your porch looks its best for years to come.

Mark Stevens is a writer from New Jersey who has written over 100 home improvement articles. Want to ask Mark something? Send him a message.