Concrete patios have become a popular way to improve the look of a home. Because concrete is a relatively new material, though, many homeowners do not understand how to prepare their concrete for use as a patio. Here are 8 excellent tips for concrete patios:

1. Always put down a gravel base. If you don’t have any gravel, you can use asphalt, but it will be more difficult to install and will require sealing (see step 3 below).

2. Use gray concrete instead of white for the patio. This makes the patio look more natural and does not reflect light like white concrete does.

3. Use waterproofing sealer on the concrete slab before you pour the patio. A waterproofing sealer should be used on all concrete slabs that are in direct contact with water, because this will protect it from cracking and allows it to hold up better in wet conditions.

4. Use a textured finish on your concrete patio to provide texture and visual interest. To achieve this effect, apply 2 coats of sealer at least two days apart; 4 coats would be even better

Every now and then I see concrete patios that have been finished with a really poor job of concrete. Even when the finish is pretty good, it is obvious that the patio was made out of pre-mixed concrete. In such cases, it pays to do a little reading on the subject.

One of the great advantages of pre-mix concrete is that it can be used to make almost any patio shape. It makes sense to go ahead and get yourself some ready mix concrete and make your own patio before you discover that there are several other alternatives besides regular concrete.

Here are 8 ways to improve the look of your patio:

1) Use crushed granite rather than plain concrete for your base. The best crushed granite is sold by specialty companies that specialize in custom bases. As a general rule, you should pay around $2 per square foot for a custom base. If you want an even cheaper option, buy cheap crushed granite online from Amazon or similar sites and crush it yourself at home with a hammer and long-handled crowbar. Then you will have to seal it, which isn’t difficult but is time consuming. You can use colored cement for decorative purposes but at least for small areas this works better when not mixed with coarse aggregate (the stuff that holds the

When you buy a new concrete patio, ask for a patio test to find out if the concrete is really ready. Concrete is one of the hardest and most durable materials used on patios, but it can be tricky to find something that will stand up to all types of weather. Find out before you start investing your time and money into the project.

1) Ask the contractor whether they have an independent concrete testing laboratory with a certified lab technician that will test your concrete for strength and durability.

2) Look for concrete that is free of any bubbles. If it has bubbles, it won’t be as strong as professional grade.

3) Be sure to find a contractor who can finish off any cracks, dents or unevenness in the patio surface before pouring concrete, as this will affect the strength of the patio overall.

4) Choose a cement that contains less than 10 percent fly ash, which can give off harmful fumes in case of rain. If you live in an area that gets very hot in the summer and does not get snow or ice during winter, choose a cement with low silica content.

5) Try to find good quality sand; it should be free from large pieces of stone or gravel, which can cause damage to your patio surface

If you have a concrete patio, or you’re thinking of one, here are some things you can do to make your patio more attractive.

First, as a general rule, it’s a good idea to have your patio smooth and level. An awkward shaped patio is much harder to maintain than an attractive one. The most common mistake people make is using too small a patio. If you have the budget, you can install a nice stone wall or even a driveway. You can also use rocks to cover up the back of your patio. Anything with a flat surface works well as decorative paving stones It’s hard to get a look of formality with rocks, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just depends on what you want for your patio.

If you want polished concrete, make sure that it’s properly sealed before pouring it. Otherwise the concrete will usually crack in at least two places when it dries. This can be very disappointing because the cracking usually looks like hairline cracks which are hard to fix once they start appearing. If cracks appear in your patio when it’s still wet, then there is probably something wrong with the sealer; if the cracks appear after dry-out, then there might be something wrong with the concrete itself.

Try not

One of the most common complaints of small-time contractors is that they work with concrete, or perhaps other stonework, and it never seems right. The reason is that concrete doesn’t like to be hugged. It can’t take the force, and it can’t give back as much.

When you pour concrete into a rectangular box, it spreads out into a rectangle. When you pour it into a circle, it spreads out around a circle. If you pour into a square or a triangle, the concrete stays put: no problem there. But you can’t hug the sides of the box that contain the corners – so when the concrete dries, they are not perfectly round. And if you try to make them round by scribing them with a knife or something similar, the knife cuts into the surrounding concrete and sends chips flying.

It is an unfortunate fact that people who make concrete patios tend not to understand why their patios don’t look right. One of my favorite answers is that people don’t understand how concrete works; another is that people don’t understand what’s important about patios.

But then why isn’t this obvious? Because we have been told by professional contractors that concrete patio designs are finished in minutes with plastic stencils. We

Steps 1-4 are about preparation and materials, and 5-8 are about finishing. I’ll start with the things you can do yourself and move on to the things you need help for.

Many of these tips are not new. But some are, and so I’ve added them to my list because I think they’re worth mentioning.

Start in the spring or early fall, when the ground is still damp and before it dries out too much. Later in the season, it will be harder to get concrete to bond with the soil, especially if it’s wet. If you wait until summer or early fall, you can also get a head start on mold cleanup by mixing any finished concrete several days ahead of time and pouring it into containers that keep it moist until it cures. After curing, you can remove any containers that aren’t going to be used right away.

If your patio isn’t level, make sure your base is level before you pour the concrete. You can level a patio base just like any other surface: use a level, leveling compound (available at hardware stores) or wet sandpaper on a smooth surface such as an old table or a flat door. Use a level to check for horizontal accuracy about every 2 feet around the perimeter of

As a rule, concrete patios are used as a place to park cars, put a swing set in or just enjoy the view. Sometimes they can be used for an alternative purpose. Concrete patios can be used as garden patios, pool terraces and also as a place for outdoor entertaining. The advantages of using concrete patios are that it is inexpensive to build and it has high durability.

You can make your own patio by using some ready-mix concrete blocks with a patio design. Then you can use tools like scissors and sand paper to customize the patio according to your own taste. You will have the ability to build a comfortable place for relaxing in the shade and breathing fresh air all year round.