Options turn concrete from ugly to stunning
Q: I have an in-ground swimming pool at my home, and my wife is not too happy about the concrete deck. The cement was poured at different times and it’s cured to three different shades. She’s asked me what can be done to make the color uniform. Are there any affordable options? Is this something I can do myself? — Mike D., Cincinnati
A: What’s that old saying? A happy wife means a happy life. I’m about to crank up the happiness machine for you both at the same time. You’ve got three options to transform your concrete’s appearance and one is very DIY-friendly.
My guess is you’ll love this option: Concrete resurfacing products add a very thin layer of material onto the existing concrete, perhaps just one-sixteenth of an inch. Once mixed with water, they are the consistency of applesauce. You simply spread the material on the existing concrete with a large squeegee and then, after a few minutes, apply a broom finish.
You also can add dry pigments to the mix to create a new colored surface. Reds, browns, greens, blues, golds, oranges and other hues are all possible. You can even create patterns or murals with different colored mixes. The possibilities are endless.
This option would work especially well for your concrete. But if you decide to do it, test the process on a concrete slab other than your pool. You want to get the hang of it to get perfect results.
Also, don’t do the resurfacing on hot, sunny, breezy days. These are the worst possible conditions because the resurfacing compound dries too fast. It’s best to do this work on an overcast day with the temperatures around 60 degrees. That gives you plenty of time to work, and you’ll get the best bond to the existing concrete. Be sure to read all the instructions and follow them with great diligence.
Another option would be to stain your existing concrete. There are special color stains made to soak into concrete. I’ve walked on stained concrete that looks like leather. Any imaginable color is possible, but creating special looks works best on concrete with a surface texture more like glass. The issue with staining sandy, porous concrete like yours is the colors can become very deep.
But you may find that applying a colored stain solves your problem immediately. Because you have distinct joints between the different slabs of concrete surrounding the pool, you could even use different colors. For example, the inner ring of concrete that touches the edge of the pool could be a tropical green, while the outer ring could be a medium blue. You’re only limited by your imagination.
But concrete stains are tricky to work with; you have to follow instructions to the letter. If you decide to try this, it’s imperative to do a test on some concrete in another location, perhaps a patch you pour to match your pool-concrete characteristics.
Your third option is more complicated but can produce stunning results: combine the resurfacing products with stencils. It’s possible to transform your bland pool deck into a something that looks like red brick, granite cobblestone, even brown and gold flagstone.
If you decide this is the best choice, you may want to find a local professional with lots of experience using stencils.