My back yard is completely cemented. The cement has lots of cracks

Hello! Salt water will kill the weeds, but they will have to be pulled up once dead. Add some shade with an umbrella/table set — they can be purchased fairly cheaply at the end of the season at a local discount department store or online through eBay or another similar s‘website. Add a couple of potted trees and you have created a little oasis! Enjoy!

Add outdoor furniture. Plants is pots. Build a divider out of 2 x 4's and lattice work. Barbeque pit. Fire pit. Water feature. The list is endless.

Kill the weeds with white vinegar and water, add a dab of salt and a dab of dish soap.If in the budget fix the cracks and paint the patio using outdoor concrete paint

Spray weeds with a mixture of 5% white vinegar (store brand), a few table spoons of salt and a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Spray on a hot day. Weeds will be dead by night. Look for a rug designed to be used outside. You can find these in discount stores if money is an issue. Place some yard furniture on top. Look at thrift shops and garage sales if money is an issue for yard furniture. Some people even give it away when they buy new in the spring. You may have to scrub it up a bit. Look at Craig's list. Then get some large pots and plant in them for some color. Get a few yard sculptures to make it a little fun. An umbrella over a table would really be an added touch.

If one area is worse than the rest, do the weed killer and pull the dead plants, but then put a big tarp over the worst area. That will keep the weed seeds that are in the ground from being germinated and taking over. You can also use a tarp to make a shaded lean-to.

When you can, you should have the old concrete broken up, removed, and replaced. If you want a yard, after the old concrete is gone, rake the soil, and lay sod, even if you have to do 1/4 of the yard at a time. Another way to get the concrete broken up is to buy a sledge hammer and chip away, a foot a day.

Repairing the concrete yourself, using an instant concrete like Sakcrete, is probably a waste of time. But try if if you wish. And plant some flowers and vegetables in large containers to add some color to the area. Maybe you can build a fire pit for a gathering space, with seats and tables. Some people sit outside year round, with mosquito torches or even electric heaters.

Best wishes on your decisions. I would love to see it all on Hometalk.com. And you can post one part of your renovation at a time! I bet MANY people would like to see your work. ☺️

Hi there, something a little different is to celebrate the cracks by putting mosaic tiles inside the cracks. You can grout the mosaics with an outdoor grout to seal