I have an entrance porch of approx 150 sq ft of mature
(17 years) concrete. It's in generally sound condition
with a few small cracks and chips but it's been stained
by some planters that were placed there at one time.

Initially, I considered tiling the thing. However, that
now looks less than practical due to a combination of
drainage issues and expansion joints running at 45 degrees.

So then I started looking at various coatings. Google
turned up a bunch of products some of which look a lot
like overpriced snake oil. Sherwin Williams have the H&C
Silicone Acrylic Concrete Sealer which looks like it would
work but apparently it's not available in the People's
Republic of Kalifornia. I feel it will probably take
something of better quality than that sold in the big
box stores.

I'd like to create something like a natural stone effect
with a little texture/pattern (versus solid color) to
hide the imperfections. The porch is sheltered from the
wind and rain but exposed to direct sunlight and UV.
Traffic is very light but I want something durable and
don't need a maintenance liability.

I think it wants a relatively thick (high solids) coating
to fill/hide the cracks and imperfections and maybe a
clearcoat on top for additional protection -- I don't
want the "wet look". I considered acid staining but at
17 years I fear the surface is too shabby for that to
work out well. Ditto for semi-transparent stains.

I don't own any spray gear and prefer something that can
be rolled on. I might even use a ragging roller and add
a thin coat of a different color to create something of
a granite-like texture.

Anyone have any experience of *exterior* concrete coatings?
Many of the garage floor paints are not UV resistent!

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are launching into an area called decorative concrete.

Good, professional information he
http://www.thestampstore.com/

If you are subject to freeze/thaw I would avoid the glued on stone
stuff. I can show you more failures than successes.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message
...
I have an entrance porch of approx 150 sq ft of mature
(17 years) concrete. It's in generally sound condition
with a few small cracks and chips but it's been stained
by some planters that were placed there at one time.

Initially, I considered tiling the thing. However, that
now looks less than practical due to a combination of
drainage issues and expansion joints running at 45 degrees.

So then I started looking at various coatings. Google
turned up a bunch of products some of which look a lot
like overpriced snake oil. Sherwin Williams have the H&C
Silicone Acrylic Concrete Sealer which looks like it would
work but apparently it's not available in the People's
Republic of Kalifornia. I feel it will probably take
something of better quality than that sold in the big
box stores.

I'd like to create something like a natural stone effect
with a little texture/pattern (versus solid color) to
hide the imperfections. The porch is sheltered from the
wind and rain but exposed to direct sunlight and UV.
Traffic is very light but I want something durable and
don't need a maintenance liability.

I think it wants a relatively thick (high solids) coating
to fill/hide the cracks and imperfections and maybe a
clearcoat on top for additional protection -- I don't
want the "wet look". I considered acid staining but at
17 years I fear the surface is too shabby for that to
work out well. Ditto for semi-transparent stains.

I don't own any spray gear and prefer something that can
be rolled on. I might even use a ragging roller and add
a thin coat of a different color to create something of
a granite-like texture.

Anyone have any experience of *exterior* concrete coatings?
Many of the garage floor paints are not UV resistent!

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I
get". |
| Gary
Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~