Whether you’re entertaining outdoors, dining ‘alfresco’ or curling up with a book, the patio offers a nice escape from indoor living — and that’s why it’s important to maintain it.
Concrete is beautiful, durable and long-lasting on its own, but performing regular maintenance will prolong your patio’s life and keep it looking its best.
Here are three tips to do just that!
1. Check for cracks.
Concrete expands as the weather heats up, and if a patio pushes against an inflexible surface, cracks can form.
Ground movement from freeze-thaw cycles, expanding tree roots and settling can all lead to cracks.
And small cracks from expansion and contraction can cause big problems in the future. Water can seep in, rust and expand rebar, leading to wider cracks.
So, check your patio for cracks — a glance is all it takes!
2. Repair Damage
You can fix small cracks with Quikrete Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer. This simple, easy-to-use mix is an affordable alternative to tearing out and replacing the slab.
First, clean the patio with a 3,500-psi pressure washer. Then, use weatherstripping or duct tape to protect the slab’s joints. Next, apply the Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer with a squeegee, trowel or brush — work in 12-by-12-square-foot sections, since the product dries fast! Finally, add a textured finish to prevent slips.
For larger cracks, use a concrete crack sealant. With a chisel and hammer, widen the crack by 1/4 inch minimum and break away any deteriorating concrete. Then clear any loose material with a brush. Insert backer rod into cracks more than 1/2 inch deep, and then apply Quikrete’s Advanced Polymer Concrete Crack Sealant with a caulking gun and let cure.
3. Seal for Protection
After inspecting and taking care of needed repairs, sealing the concrete is the final step in making your patio last.
Applying a sealer like Quikrete Acrylic Concrete Cure & Seal is easy, fast and will protect the patio from dirt, grease, oil and other contaminants that can stain the surface.
In addition to keeping the patio attractive, the sealer also prevents water, ice and snow from penetrating the concrete, which can lead to cracking, scaling and flaking caused by freeze-thaw cycles previously mentioned.
You can apply the sealer using a broom, brush, roller or garden sprayer, but don’t worry — the sealer is just a barrier and won’t change the surface’s appearance.
Be sure to check out Quikretes Advanced Polymer Concrete!
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It would be helpful if there were step by step video’s instead of pictures.
Even on your shows, all steps don’t seem to be clear enough to tackle projects.
I have every product QUIKRETE has but still not clear on which product for the job.
I’m a single lady in my early 70’s. I am / was, somewhat handy but losing my confidence starting a project and it’s nearly impossible to find a good handyman.
Kind regards,
Josie Schreiber
Hi, Josie,
Thanks for the feedback! We move pretty quickly to pack everything in each episode, and we’re happy to help with any steps (or point you in the right direction!) if clarification is needed.
Quikrete also has experts on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Here’s their contact form: https://www.quikrete.com/contactUs/Main.asp
Don’t lose that confidence — you can do it! 🙂
Thank you for the info on patios. I want to know if there is something I can use to remove paint from my foundation of the home. I have tried power washing without much success & then used a couple types of paint to try to cover the old paint. But it doe not last and looks awful.
Is there a paint remover I can buy? Or do I have to resort to sand blasting? I am desperate.
Thank you,
Linda Breaux
Hi, Linda Jane,
Removing paint from concrete is a cycle that requires time and determination.
First, clean the concrete with TSP and let dry. After that, scrape the paint with a putty knife and apply paint stripper.
Then remove any paint stripper residue and reapply (and repeat the cycle) until there’s no more paint.
Good luck!
I like the diy projects. I have two patios. The basic slab to which a brick pattern was added, but our yard has a slope. Therefore we have a level area then a little slope on which water accumulates. Next we had a professional patio built and drainage put in but I’m now left with a space between them that is uneven what do you recommend?
Hi, Naomi,
We would need to see a photo to better understand the issue.
We accept photos at social@todayshomeowner.com.
Please include a link to the article and a couple of sentences about the situation.
Thanks so much!