My back steps are of concrete which is sound except that the surface is spalled, exposing the aggregate and getting a little rougher every year.
Is there a product you’ve used that would do a resurface job for me?
If so, are there any steps of preparation that I need to do? Or any other recommendations for proper application?
Replies
It can be done. The main question is whether the spalling problem is such that any repair will simply flake off as the concrete below fails. Depends on what's causing the spalling, and how bad it is.
Thanks. Is there any product you've used sucessfully?
I've used a couple of different "resurfacer" products, and also used thinset. All have worked pretty well, with different working properties. Note that some are for thin coats, some for thicker.Read the instructions. In most cases the old concrete should be moist -- soak it the day before and then moisten an hour before applying the new "skin".
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Also, clean any and all loose stuff off the concrete. Tap around and get ALL the loose stuff off. Wet the steps. There IS an adhesive that you mix into the leveler, we called it "milk" because of it's color. About half water and half "milk" so do for the liquid part of the mix. Trowel mix on and get smooth with as few strokes of the trowel as you can, the more you "work" this stuff, the worse it looks.
Some surfacer materials have the "milk", some don't. I've not noticed a major difference in durability between the two.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I always used the "milk" as an additive so the surfacer will STICK better to walls and such. I've also used it on floor jobs after all the sprawling AND other defects have been shot-blasted away. "patch" was "darbied" on, and let set up. I've also seen some "patch jobs" where no "milk" was used, these would just flake off with a finger nail.
Seems like I heard, or read, someplace, that the milk is a lot like Elmers glue--a PVA adhesive that helps bind the old to the new as well as strengthening the new mixture.
Manufacturer's instrustuctions should always be followed in any case, I suppose. And I'm sure careful prep work is always a good policy.
The underlying stuff is sound--no hollow noise or any tendency to flake off more.
There are rounded heads of aggregate showing that used to be covered with "cream", if that's the term I've heard concrete guys use for the top that gets trowelled.
Would it help to use a wood float instead of a steel trowel for smoothing? Seems like wood doesn't bring up a watery soup to the surface like the suction of a steel trowel does.
I've just used a "mag float" for this stuff. Just use a 5 gal. bucket to mix the powder, water and "Milk" into a smooth batch. " Glop" on a enough to cover one tread at a time. Smooth it out with the mag float and move on to the next tread. The less you have to work this stuff the better it will look. The milk is a laytex additive that bonds to the concrete. Have another bucket of clean water handy, and a brush. Use the wet brush on the tread first, then trowel on the mix. Also, keep the mag clean as much as you can, a "wet" trowel will work a lot better, and the mix won't stick to the trowel. " Although I have the right to remain stupid, I try not to abuse that right"
Thanks.
Good, practical info.
Thinset would be way too soft to count on, imo.
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I've used Quikcrete's 'concrete resurfacer'. It works okay. Not perfect looks wise, but somewhat of a fix.
A fhb advertiser abatron? makes a product that works very well... if you can tap on the existing concrete and it sounds hollow... you have to chip it way until you get to a surface that has that dead non hollow sound...
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CD Fine made by Ardex is the stuff to use. I've used it quit a bit through the years, and this stuff stick to everything. surface prep is the key to making it last. pry off all loose concrete, use the wooden handle of your hammer and tap on the concrete listening for hollow spots. you need to chip the hollow spots down to soild concrete or they will fail. clean surface well, and patch anything deeper then 1/4". if you apply CD Fine in a hole deeper then 1/4", you will get a dark spot in the finished produce called shadowing. i use either Specco Patch, Thin Patch, or Red Line all made by SpeedCrete. for this patching process you will need to use a bonding adgent, DON"T let the bonder dry before you put the patch on. if the bonder dries it will act like a bond breaker, and WILL FAIL. i would build the patch up higher the the suface of the concrete, and come back and grind everything smooth later. power wash the surface and let it dry completely. Follow the mixing instructions on the CD Fine, use water only to mix (all of the admixures are in the CD FINE, no need to add anything). mix enough to work one step at a time, this suff sets fast. use a steel trowl to apply the CD Fine. you should be trying to apply about 1/8", but no more then 1/4". i use an old concrete broom cut down to 12" to broon the treads, and a 4" paint brush to broom the cove and face of the steps. seal the steps using a good quility sealer the same day to prevent dehydration of the CD Fine. keep your tools clean, don't let this stuff dry on anything you don't want it to dond to. once in dries it's hard to get off.
Thanks 6bag.
This is the kind of detailed instruction I was hoping for.
happy to help, let me know how it turns out or if you need anymore info.