Susi from Virginia says, “What is the best way to repair a small aggregate concrete patio with leftover thinset from now-removed ceramic tile?”
She believes she’s tried everything to remove the adhesive, but some of the residue just won’t budge.
“Between manual removal, applying muriatic acid wash, etc., all the thinset that can be removed has been, leaving a residue that is thinner in some places than others,” she said.
That makes it difficult to improve her patio, because the entire surface, as it is, doesn’t appear level thanks to that thinset.
“I’ve thought about applying concrete resurfacer or the composite tiles that connect together,” Susi says. “The patio is only about 70 square feet, so I’m looking for something relatively easy and efficient.”
Susi is on the right track, when it comes to applying concrete resurfacer. But before she can do that, she definitely needs to remove the thinset.
We tell Susi to grind down the thinset with an angle grinder. She should move the grinder slowly, but intentionally, to carefully sand away the adhesive.
Slow and steady wins the race for this task — don’t rush removing the thinset, or you could damage the surface.
Finally, apply Quikrete Recap Resurfacer on the surface.
Listen above for the segment!
