Concrete refinishing can definitely improve your home's curb appeal and maintenance!

These concrete refinishing ideas really improved the look around my property. I've spent a lot of time and effort around the house fixing it up and making improvements, but the concrete, like the home, is also 40 years old and looking it's age. It was time to do something to improve the driveway, sidewalks, pool deck, and even the recently added concrete patio stones, brick, mortar, and anchor stones I used for landscaping.

I want to share some of the tips I received, and some of the tricks and ideas I developed over the course of these projects. I'm not finished, but the results have been paying off over the last months with both good looks and easier maintenance. Mold doesn't grow on the improved areas, and it only takes minutes to blow leaves or sweep the smooth surfaces.

This picture is only three months later than what I showed in my Spring Ideas (Mold Removal) section! The concrete is so porous that mold easily gets a foothold. It's hard to sweep and even a leaf blower has problems skittering the leaves over the rough surface. It desperately needs concrete refinishing!

The concrete patio stones, Windsor Anchor Lock blocks, mortar, and brick, though recent additions, also were very porous and prone to molds. There's no question my tips for cleaning molds with diluted pool-shock followed up with pressure washing work, but doing it every three months is a lot of work. There had to be a better solution - and there was - clear concrete sealer!

My driveway has really suffered over the years. This broken section was caused by roots from a giant ceder that toppled in a hurricane. After the tree died, the roots rotted away leaving voids under the concrete. You'll see me tear this out and pour fresh new concrete to refinish this area of the driveway.

After forty years, all of the concrete expansion joints in my driveway, sidewalk, and pool deck had lost their tar, and subsequently, the wood strips rotted out of the seams. Without those tarred seams, weeds sprouted and pressure washing the concrete was impossible. I created more mess than I was cleaning! This was the hardest part of my concrete refinishing project - 1200' of seams.

For one of my landscaping projects, I needed a continuous radius with 90 degree corners and the point of this concrete section had to go! I have to say, tackling this obstacle taught me a lot about working with or modifying concrete and built the confidence for many of the concrete refinishing projects that laid ahead.

Using a 7-1/4" diamond blade on a cheap circular saw let me cut this tip off. To the left of this section, the entire pad was poured to within six inches of the fence. I ended up cutting 18" off this end of the pad for twenty feet. Knowing I could cut concrete let me do other creative things like cutting radius's out of four concrete paving stones for shrubbery - a nice concrete refinishing trick!

On the opposite side of the same stonework project that required a continuous radius, was a missing section of concrete. I can't say why the previous owners made the concrete pours the way they did, but there were several abrupt missing sections, in weird places, and weirder geometric shapes, that I didn't understand, or like!

One of the tips I got for figuring out how much concrete I needed was to lay the bags down so they filled the area. The geometry didn't work well here and I had to guess! Concrete refinishing projects that use bags of material, whether it's concrete, mortar, or patching compounds are easiest mixed using the full bags. Mixing concrete requires exact ratios of water, neither too much or too little, otherwise it's weak and brittle!

This picture shows the continuation of this corner stonework project. Now you can see the perfect radius of the brickwork that forms the gutter, an integral feature of my entire pool and patio makeover. Sometimes, concrete refinishing projects may require you to take out material, add new sections, or take other creative steps!

The most costly part of my concrete refinishing project was the paint. It's cheaper then house paint, but it took over twenty gallons. The end result was worth the cost! Now I can easily sweep or use the leaf blower. There were two unexpected benefits. The pool deck is much easier on the eyes in bright sunlight, and dirt and pollen are either blown off when it's windy, or rinsed off by the rain - no more leaves, dirt, mold, or mildew!

This is the cleaned fountain with it's concrete block and patio stones after two clear coats of brick, masonry, and concrete sealer. This picture was taken three months after the treatment. Guess what? No mold, mildew, or stains from the neighboring oak tree's acorns or leaves - the wind and irrigation system flushes it clean every day!

If either the tar or compression fill is missing from your seams, this section, repairing concrete expansion joints, will show you how to do it. Few jobs are as visible from the street. You can transform a weed choked eyesore into a clean expanse of concrete!

If you've got cracks in your concrete that are deep or wide enough to trap dirt and grow weeds, it's best to fill them before you do any type of concrete refinishing. This section, concrete crack repair will show some different materials, and where and how to use them.

Many times the first step in any concrete project is cutting out, or pounding out bad sections, and making a fresh batch and a new pour. This section, mixing concrete will give you tips for cutting, drilling, making forms, tieing-in, mixing, pouring, leveling and smoothing.

For instant results and gratification, nothing is easier or faster than painting concrete! In this section, I'll talk about the different concrete paints, their prices, and surface preparation requirements. I'll also give you tips for spraying, rolling, and clean-up - they're really sticky!

If you have an older brick home, this section, sealing concrete, could save you thousands of dollars from water damage! Brick, mortar, and concrete are porous to some extent, and over time with weathering, they get more so, especially mortar. This really helps!

There are many type of concrete refinishing projects, some easier than others. Hopefully, you won't have all the problems I've had and only need tips for one, but if I haven't covered it, let me know!

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