Denver Decorative Concrete & Custom MasonryBest way to repair a concrete slab/patio and steps where old tile has been removed?
I have about 160 SF of area in front of my home consisting of a small concrete landing, three steps and another landing up to my front door that was previously covered in ceramic tile. Due to a homeowners association rule I was forced to painstakingly remove it (never again). After removing the tile the bottom concrete has some pitting, mortar from the old tile and minor cracks in corners from tile removal. I want to make it like the original concrete slab so I can pass inspection and maybe paint it or something. It is as clean as it will get now but looks bad from the tile removal.
A local handyman wants to just to form it, take kwikcrete concrete mix and and just put an inch fresh layer on top and level it etc…and he said it will be like brand new but I thought you could NOT put that right on top of another old layer of concrete.
Can someone with experience in this area tell me that correct way to do this? I do not want it to crack or have issues and just want it to where I can eventually put a brand new surface but for now just like the old concrete was to paint. Any help is appreciated.
I have had a couple similar situations in the past. Here’s what worked for me.
I cleaned surface off very good with a scrub brush and water and made sure all loose material was removed
There is a bonding agent that is brushed on which helps the concrete adhere to the surface…..this is available in home improvement store in the cement section.
Instead of using regular cement , I bought a bucket of hydraulic cement which dries faster and much harder.
I mixed a very little loose and troweled over entire surface making sure all holes are filled. then I took a wet masons brush and put a slight texture on it.
Haven’t had any problems since doing this.
Hope this was helpful
Good luck
They do make a patching compounds for stuff like that. It can fill the pits and rebuild the corners on level surfaces like walks and steps. Fills voids 1/8 to 1/2 deep. Then there’s resurfacers that are applied over the whole surface like a brand new veneer 1/4 -1/2′ thick. Tile setters use both for exterior applications so I’d call 1 for an opinion and estimate. They’d be more skilled for their application and probably can trowel on the surfacer without the use of forms then come back once set to hone it smooth. They may want to grind down the remaining mortar or use acid to break it down so it can be scraped off easier and not cause the need for a thicker application which may not be suitable for the product’s long term performance.
Well, your local handyman has a lot of company, and yes it can be bonded well. Before doing anything, however, I’d check with these lovely people from the homeowners’ association to see exactly what they consider acceptable. Would be a pity, and expensive, to disappoint them.
I actually plan to add tile to my entrance, so I guess I would never be acceptable there. More’s the pity.
EDIT: In a rare action, I’ve censored myself about associations that have informed friends of such things as unacceptable mailboxes. Let’s just say my neighborhood association watches out for each other, mows someone’s grass if they are sick, tosses a paper on a porch if it’s raining, pitches in on the sidewalks it there’s a heavy snow, and knows where every dog lives. See, I can be nice.
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