A decorative concrete overlay is a thin coat of fine concrete used for resurfacing undesirable concrete surfaces. Most do this on their floorings but this can also be done on walls.

With the right products, tools, and system, decorative concrete overlays are fairly simple to do. You only need to prime the area with a polymer. Polymer is white, like milk. Pour the polymer into a five gallon bucket. Add the desired color, quickly mix them. After that, add concrete slowly and mix well. Consistency would be best if like that of pancake batter. When the desired consistency is achieved, simply pour onto the floor. Thin and even is the rule for spreading the mixture. Some overlay on two coats and use concrete sealers.

Clean the surface well before starting the overlay. Protect the walls with plastic. Overlay from bottom upwards. Garden plant plastic sprayers may be used. These are inexpensive. You may also use a mop, just pour the polymer on the floor and start mopping. Overlay products are often packaged per 2000 square feet. Get a drill and a mixing paddle. All of these are available at do it yourself stores and hardware stores. Decorative concrete overlays cost around $1.50 to $2.00 for each square foot.

There are ways to bring life to your dull concrete floor. You can even do it by yourself or it can be a family project. Since this has got something to do about the beautification of your home, it’s worth the time and effort.

The first thing that you can do is to paint it, not with ordinary paint but with something that is made especially for concrete. This type of paint partly contains epoxy and it will hold firmly even when people keep on stepping and passing. Painting your concrete floor, though, won’t be permanent. In time, it will wear out no matter how long lasting it can be.

Another good option is to stain your floor; however, whatever the outcome of the staining would be, it’s going to be permanent. This method can produce really wonderful and impressive results. People would even think that you’ve covered your floor with expensive stones. You also wouldn't have to worry if your floor will chip away or fade. It's permanent!

Maintenance won't be too difficult to do after staining your floor. You only need to apply wax on it and do some sweeping. With proper floor staining, you can have a floor that you can be proud of.

It may be surprising to hear that the concrete repair business earns billions of dollars yearly. Companies earn a lot from concrete crack repairs and cracks in structures. Repairs are often through low pressure crack injections of liquid polymer. This hardens with time. Another repair method is high pressure injection, which is often used for big cracks on heavy or long structures like dams, highways, and bridges.

Cracks occur because there are insufficiencies in providing working joints. These joints enable drying shrinkage as well as thermal movement. Other cracks are due to structural settlement or overload. Natural causes like earthquakes are serious contributors. Often, cracks normally form within 30 days of concrete structure pouring.

Cracks start out too small with little or no bad effects initially. Then, as time passes by, cracks widen and if not repaired soon, may cause dangerous accidents due to breakage and leaking. Some cracks could cause no problems whatsoever, but it’s recommended to just fix them promptly.

For concrete crack repairs, two- component epoxies may be used and polyurethane elastomeric foams. The first seals cracks while reinforcing the repair at the same time. Epoxies are most recommended for secure repairs. AS for the second, they are widely used for leakage repairs. They harden fast, unlike epoxies. They also reach far and deep areas of cracks.