multi color pattern concrete resurfacing?


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Old 06-27-19, 08:28 PM
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multi color pattern concrete resurfacing?

Concrete walkway stained and chipped and cracked.

The chips and cracks have been patched already but now they stick out like a sore thumb because of the color difference between new (bright almost white) and old (grey).

I want to use concrete resurfacer for the whole walkway, it will look great, but I don't want stains etc to show up so easily on it from dirty shoes, grass stains, whatever. I was thinking to use a powder color additive to the resurfacer mix but even a SOLID dark color like grey or red or brown will show markings.

Is there anything I can add that'll give it a sort of multi color where spots etc won't show up easily? I was thinking something like the chips that are added to garage floor paints but I don't want it looking like a garage floor plus I don't know how well it'll work mixing those chips to a masonry product instead of a paint/epoxy. I don't want to put any clear sealer on the walkway either, I want to keep it simply and not slippery when wet. I was thinking like a random swirling pattern or dark red and brown and grey color additives in random patterns but it might look ridiculous when finished.

Ideally something like the garage floor paint chips mixed in with the resurfacer would look good but trying to avoid it looking like a garage floor.
 
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Old 06-28-19, 03:53 AM
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I think a lot depends on where you are located. After all the driveway is outside in the elements 24/7. Personally I do not like colored or stamped concrete. I so rarely see it look good after 5 or 10 years no matter what maintenance it gets. Heck, even the theme parks can't keep it looking pristine.
 
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Old 01-13-20, 12:32 PM
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thanks.

never heard of air entraining agent, can't find it for sale easily. I assume it's already in resurfacer products though.

Stoneffects™ Quartz Stone Coating rustoleum looks good and want the texture it has, but again, is sort of solid and will show dirt etc.

Granite Grip behr is exactly the finish I would like but it's latex and I just know it will start peeling, can easily re do it but leftovers won't last that long and might be hard to find easily.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Pre...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Most of it this patio under a porch, so rain won't just wash it clean.

A regular 'concrete acid stain' I think is too uniform even though it's marbled or can be made swirly etc using different colors, I think dirt etc will show up easily on it, but maybe I can do a light sparse second/third coat with darker and/or different colors to make it look speckled, but then I should seal it and then need resealing every couple years. I'm hoping for something more maintenance-free and less chemicals (sealer stripper).
Also more cracks will probably come even though I will resurface it before stain&seal, and then it would need the cracks filled and re-do the stain process at least on the newly filled cracks..

I'm thinking the easiest thing is to use a regular resurfacer (which is bright, almost white looking), then mix a small amount of grey and red/brown color powder into another small batch of resurfacer and blot (sponge or something) those darker colors over the white resurfacer (blot it with grey, then mix another batch with red/brown). It's a small patio and will have extra color powders left-over and then if it ever cracks or starts to look bad, can easily just blot more where needed.

acid stain looks great (some of the nicest floors I've ever seen, nicer than exotic woods etc, metalic epoxy etc very nice) and better looking than blotting dyed resurfacer IMHO but even when acid stain is marbled and varied and then sealed, it seems like it'll show dirt/stains easier than the powder dye blotting method. If it were indoors I would consider stain/dyes with a pattern but I don't think it'll last as long outside.
It's such a small patio, I don't think it's worth the materials and effort to do a full on staining and sealing (and then maintain it thereafter).

I will do a test spot on some plywood with concrete resurfacer on it (hopefully the resrufacer sticks to the wood with some bonder , but even if not, should be enough to get an idea) before doing the patio like this.

I can also try some marbling affect with the main first (basically bright white) resurfacer to give it more depth to hide dirt and stains, sort of like this but not as fully mixed uniform:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO09piKqdo0


I'll try to post some pics.
 
 

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