Adding a concrete patio is an easy, affordable way to enhance a blank-slate backyard.
Anyone can use Quikrete concrete mixes to pour a slab and extend their living space outdoors; it doesn’t require special training or skill sets — just follow the package’s instructions.
But before you get to work, remember: safety first!
Whether you pour a concrete slab or use Quikrete Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer on an existing one, you need to add texture so it doesn’t become slippery when wet.
With new concrete, this step happens following most of the finishing. After you’ve leveled the surface and smoothened it with floats and trowels, use a broom to add a small amount of texture. Do this when the concrete has cured to the point that it is becoming solid, but is still soft.
Drag a stiff bristled broom — one made from horsehair or nylon — slowly across the surface. Ensure each stroke is consistent, traveling in the same direction and creating tiny ridges in the surface. This makes the concrete safer to walk on, particularly when wet.
When you resurface an existing slab with Quikrete Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer, the process is pretty much the same.
Just ensure that the concrete is hard enough that the broom won’t remove the resurfacer, and not too soft that it wouldn’t create the necessary texture.
It may take some practice to find that happy medium between when it’s too early to finish and when it’s too late, but a good rule of ‘thumb’ — no pun intended — is to press a finger into the concrete and ensure there’s no imprint.
And if there’s not, then go ahead and lightly score the surface, and that’s when the fun really begins.
While textured concrete finishes originated with a need — to keep folks safe from slippery surfaces — they’ve evolved to become an art.
You can carefully drag a broom in one direction over the concrete as a safeguard, but you also can get creative by adding designs.
Whether you go for the tried-and-true straight drag, or add some character to your concrete with different shapes and colors, you’ll end up with a lightly textured surface that’s attractive — and safe — to walk on.
Ready to resurface your patio? Learn more about Quikrete Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer here!
