“Party’s Over!” – A concrete surface repair project
If an existing concrete floor is damaged, a concrete surface repair may be the answer. The outdoor patio at this Buffalo Wild Wings had suffered from plenty of abuse from rowdy crowds and accident-prone customers.
The damages were cosmetic, and included stains from dropped pizza, wings and spilled beer. We were asked to fix all these stains.
We had a few options available for this sort of concrete surface repair. We could have simply power washed the floor, removing as many stains as possible.
We would then apply an acid stain directly to the concrete. The acid stain would dye it and create multiple colors and variegation throughout. With any luck, the remaining stains in the concrete would blend in with these variegated effects.
However, it’s very likely the stains would not blend and create visible darker or lighter blotches that would clash with the rest of the floor.
This sort of concrete surface repair might solve the problem, although we wouldn’t know for certain unless after we had tried it and if it didn’t we would be back to square one.
Another option involves applying a new, think layer of concrete on top of the existing concrete.
After cleaning the floor we grind the existing concrete, which improves the how well the new concrete layer will stick to it. Then we lay down a skim coat layer on top of the existing concrete floor.
Skim coats are typically used to cover up cosmetic issues like the ones on this patio. The new opaque concrete layer would create a new, smooth, unblemished surface that would hide any damage in the older concrete floor.
This new surface could also be dyed or stained with a wide range of colors, and the result would be brand new floor, free from the stains in the original concrete floor.
Skim coats are thin, so less concrete is used than in other types of concrete surface repair projects. This can cut down on the cost. They are ideal for smooth surfaces, while more concrete is needed to create textures, stamps, or scored surfaces.
Another advantage to a skim coat layer is that it adheres well to the existing concrete. This helps prevent the possibility that the new concrete layer will lift up and separate from the original floor.
At Buffalo Wild Wings, we laid down a skim coat layer. After cleaning and grinding the existing concrete, we mixed a brown-tan color into the white skim coat mixture. We poured this on top of the existing concrete.
Next, we waited until the skim coat layer had dried and hardened. We returned to the site and applied a stain, which created variegated tan-brown colorations across the surface.
To protect the new concrete layer, we also applied a sealer on top of the skim coat. This is the final step of most concrete surface repair projects. The sealer protects the concrete from any new stains from dropped food and drinks or other stains.
Sealers are pretty durable, but they usually need to be reapplied every two to four years, it mostly depends on how much sun exposure the sealer gets.
The new brown flooring complemented the patio’s stone walls and black furniture. Time would tell how the newly refurbished floor would handle future crowds.
We waited a year and returned to the Buffalo Wild Wings to check on our concrete surface repair job. The sealer had done its job and protected the patio from stains. Even after all that time, the patio still looked great.
