Refreshing tired concrete tiles.

Itineoman

Hi - I think this is the best forum to ask this in but please move if not.

We bought a place in france a while back that has a small courtyard (about 7m x 7m) in front. It is tiled with concrete paviours that have a rough/porous finish on them. The texture would be like the finish block used in interior walls here. They are made up of two different colours of concrete and have a sort of geometric pattern that hasn’t aged well. Re-paving isn’t an option so we’re considering giving them a coat of something to freshen them up while not losing the appearance of being a paved area. Rubberised floor paint is obviously not an option. Is there anything on the market that would do this i.e. retain the look and feel of a concrete paved area?

Picture gives a good idea of what’s involved. Thanks in advance

Itineoman

To answer my own question, people at the paint shop say that Weathershield will do the job. May need a re coat after two or three years but in general is tough enough to withstand the traffic.

dathi

bleach them with toilet bleach and then power hose them if they come up well you can then seal them with patio sealer

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/thompsons-one-coat-patio-block-paving-seal-clear-5ltr/63998?tc=AI4&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA6KWvBhAREiwAFPZM7txL4FCtWKhoVVdWncsGWS_xcj0F48iJMJewLc0ecT11g7xIocbl1xoCYtQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

MacDanger

I'd just powerhose them and leave it at that tbh.

Painting it with weathershield is not a good idea IMO; once it starts getting scuffed, it'll look much worse that what you currently have

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858324#Comment_121858324

People at the paint shop would say that as they want to sell paint. Agree with Macdanger, you'd just be introducing more maintenance.

They are sunbleached, i would just live with it until you can afford to replace them.

monseiur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858324#Comment_121858324

I had a LOL moment when I read this.....and double checked today's date to reassure myself that it wasn't the 1st of April😁

Power wash and apply a coat of Polybond or similar, mix at a rate of 3 : 1 That is 3 parts water to 1 part of Polybond, it's a PVA concrete sealer, it may look white, milky colour when applying but it will dry off as a clear coat. 5 litres should do your courtyard. Easy to apply with a paint roller.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867157#Comment_121867157

That will seal them, but wont make them look any better

phormium

I paint my patio, just every second concrete tile, I like it but it has to be redone every single year! It would be easier if I just painted the lot as could use a roller but I like the chequerboard effect and realistically it only takes me a few hours every year.

I put sealant over the paint the first few years but it was a waste of money, it still really needs doing each year even after powerwashing.

GreeBo

you could try a wet look sealant as when they are wet they often look better, but really they are end of life I would say

Itineoman

They are faded from 30 years of summer sun and winter frost. The pattern is hideous even if it came up like new, and completely out of sympathy with the surroundings. The alternative is to replace them which isn’t going to happen - The place is in the middle of a medieval village with no room to swing a cat. Getting it done professionally will cost a fortune and offsetting that against the hassle of painting it each season makes it look like a good option. Remember also the traffic is minimal - we’re there for a few weeks during the year plus the odd holiday rental.

Itineoman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121867157#Comment_121867157

I’m well used to polybonding new walls and floors - it won’t remove the ugliness underneath unfortunately.

Mac-Chops

If you have the will, https://dizzyduckdesigns.com/en-ie/collections/patio-stencils-1 could be a good option for what you want.

I did the below on a concrete patio and has held up well for 3 years now with the yearly scrub and power wash bringing it back to life. Used a mixture of Sandtex Ultra Smooth Masonry Paint for the base and Dulux Weather Shield Smooth Masonry Paint for the stencil then No Nonsense Patio Sealer from Screwfix and has worked well.

Itineoman

That looks interesting - Thanks for that!

ILIKEFOOD

concrete acid stain? Never done it myself but have thought about it for the driveway