This is my guide to concrete. Concrete may not seem like a very sexy subject to write about but I hope that by the time you reach the end of this blog, you will have been inspired to use concrete to improve your home. Concrete isn't just for driveways and walls. You can use concrete in a lot of pretty creative ways around your home. I discovered this when I hired a team of concrete contractors. They were really great guys and while they were completing work around my home they taught me lots of cool things about working with concrete. I hope you enjoy this blog!
There are many methods of finishing and decorating concrete surfaces. When you opt for an exposed aggregate finish, you achieve it by getting rid of the top layer of the cement paste. The underlying aggregate then lies bare as your final finish. One of the advantages of exposed aggregate is that you can go for multiple decorative effects at low costs. In fact, some of these decorative touches need you to have a garden hose, a surface retardant and a suitable sprayer. Here is an informative piece with some tips for repairing and maintaining your exposed aggregate surface.
Protective Clothing
The first step is to make sure that you will be safe when carrying out the repairs. Gather your protective clothing, starting with a pair of gloves to shield your skin from scratches and injuries. You might also need a pair of protective safety glasses to keep your eyes safe from particles.
Clean And Cordon Off Your Work Area
After identifying all the sections that need repairs, you need to clean them. Remove any pieces of stray dirt, debris and dirt using a broom. For the best results, you can hose down the area using a garden hose and sprayer to remove all the dirt hanging on to the surface. Cleaning is essential because new concrete does not hold well onto dirty surfaces.
When the area is clean, use painter's tape or duct tape to cover any decorative sections that you might damage during the repair. However, be careful not to cover up cracks and dents that you need to repair.
Patch Your Surface
Your exposed aggregate surface is now ready for repairs. The best practice would be to order ready-mix concrete, which can be delivered to your home in amounts that you presume to be enough. Unlike conventional concrete mixed manually on-site, ready-mix concrete has a similar consistency, and the manufacturer can tailor-make a blend that meets your specific needs.
Use a shovel and mason's trowel to get the ready mix concrete into damaged sections of the exposed aggregate surface. When the concrete settles in each of the damaged areas, smooth it carefully using your mason's trowel. You need to do this quickly before the concrete begins to harden. It is thus advisable to pour the concrete in one area, smoothen it and then move to the next area.
Remove The Protective Tapes
When you finish smoothening the surface, remove the tapes you had put over the decorative areas. Leaving the tapes there means they will stick in exposed aggregate when the surface hardens.
Share19 August 2019
