Concrete Patio Facelift

Leah Althiser
by Leah Althiser
3 Materials
$70
6 Hours
Easy

I transformed our ugly old concrete patio with some cleaning and an easy-to-apply tinted sealer!


Here's how to do it yourself...

When we moved into our new house the back concrete patio was in rough shape.


It had been stained over the years from leaf debris and dirt ground into concrete that I suspect was never sealed.

I started out by using this Purple Power Driveway & Concrete Cleaner.


I diluted it according to the instructions and applied it with a stiff brush.

Well after I used the cleaner the concrete still looked super dark and stained.


So I decided to try another approach to restoring the concrete.

I found this concrete sealer at my local Lowes. There were two options - semi-transparent and solid.


Since I wanted to cover the old stains, I decided on this solid color and went with the concrete gray base color.


You could also have it tinted about a dozen different colors.

First I thoroughly cleaned the concrete with our leaf blower and a broom. You don't want any dust or dirt on the concrete. If you haven't cleaned it with a pressure washer, I also suggest doing that at this point.


I then applied the concrete sealer with a high nap roller that was recommended for concrete applications.


The sealer is SUPER watery so it was easy to apply. I ended up needing two full cans when I thought one would do.


So plan on the coverage area being less than described on the can.


If you're making over a patio, check out Hometalk's guide to the best electric patio heaters on the market.

I recommend taping along any surfaces you don't want the stain to get on.

This picture shows the change in the concrete - it really was night and day!


I was pleased with the sealer's coverage - you really can't see any of the old dark marks through the sealer.

And here is the patio a month later with lots of use.


I'm sure the dirt would wash off with the pressure washer.


The gallons of sealer were $30 each and the cleaner was $10. So the total cost for the patio facelift was $70.


I'm really pleased with how nice the patio looks now. Any questions? Please leave a comment below!

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Leah Althiser
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 9 questions
  • Roxy Roxy on Mar 15, 2021

    Has anyone used this about a year ago? Does the stain peel or fade?

  • Patty Patty on Mar 15, 2021

    Our patio was "painted". Of course it is peeling up. But I can't get it all up. Anyone have any ideas on this problem. Can't put stain over peeling paint.

  • Donna Donna on Mar 16, 2022

    I am wondering the same thing regarding life of the product? how is it a year later? I did something similar and it peeled ( looking worse than before) I have not had any luck with the solid color stains on concrete or wood. I live in Milwaukee so maybe it is the rain and snow? thanks


    donna

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2 of 13 comments
  • Patty Patty on Mar 14, 2023

    Looks great. Grateful for all the tips from viewers

  • Katen Katen on Mar 09, 2024

    My daughter’s slimy icky 50 year old patio got instant facelift with gallon of bleach, scrub brush mounted on a pole and an hour of elbow grease. Looked great but best of all, scrub brush got into all those grooves that pressure washer glosses over. We use concrete paint from Sherwin Williams on pool deck and it lasts and takes touch ups well. Sometimes we overthink the obvious, and house cleaning isn’t limited to indoors

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