The Best Makeover to Give Your Pool Deck – Decorative Concrete

Decorative concrete is one of those phrases that when you hear, it takes some time to absorb and understand it. First of all, you might be thinking, there’s nothing decorative about a concrete that you’re aware of. Most people visualize a slab of gray stone when they hear the word concrete.

It’s obvious that some form of concrete repair is in order. The first thought might be to call up a contractor, but is that really necessary?

Before making that financial commitment, there are several things the homeowner can do to save time and money.

First, consider the cause of the problem. Most concrete damage is caused by either frost heave, vegetation growing through cracks, ground movement, soil pressure or shrinkage, poor construction or general wear and tear.

Then assess the type and amount of damage.

Suppose there is a crater developing in the sidewalk or driveway.

1) Wearing goggles use a mallet and chisel to chip away loose and broken pieces of concrete to depth of 1″.
2) Using the chisel, roughen up the surface.
3) Undercut the edges of the damaged surface (which will hold the patch in place).
4) Use wire brush or broom to clean surface.
5) Thoroughly rinse surface. If there is oil, use a suitable degreaser to remove all traces. Then rinse surface again.
6) Following manufacturer instructions, install patching compound.
7) Allow patch to cure for several days.

Cracks in a sidewalk or floor are a different issue. While they can merely be the result of material shrinkage during the curing process, they can also result from expansion, contraction and other forces. In this case, superficial patching or filling is not the answer, as it will only serve to hide the problem.

Use one of the following procedures:

A) For hairline cracks: fill with concrete sealer.

B) For cracks up to 1/4″:
1) While wearing goggles, use a cold chisel to remove broken material.
2) Clean out the surfaces.
3) Fill with caulk-type sealant or hydraulic cement.
4) Smooth overflow with putty knife or scraper.
5) Repeat, if needed to ensure that crack is completely filled.

I was a bit apprehensive at first to try something new and different, but my friend was really into it so I decided to give it a try. We worked together for our decorative concrete project and after a few days of working, it turned out to be one of the most satisfying projects I had done to improve my home. I absolutely loved the result, and the best part is that more and more people are beginning to appreciate the beauty and art put into decorative concrete and my other friends are beginning to do it themselves too. 

Industry experts recommend that instead of using fillers or cosmetic fixes, the best solution involves urethane injection. Material is injected through the wall to fill in the voids behind it, thus preventing present and future leaks. Kits are available in a variety of sizes and applications, depending in the severity of the cracks.

That being said, cracks still have to be dealt with, and one very effective solution involves filling them with epoxy grout, then countersinking carbon fiber staples across the crack, thus stabilizing both wall sections. Kits are available for this type of repair

Resource Author Francisco Rodriguez Higueras
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