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Tried stamped concrete overlay vs. traditional pour on a patio job last month
I did a 400 square foot patio in Akron using a stamped overlay kit from a big box store, and the homeowner wanted it to match the look of a broom finish pour from 2018. The overlay ended up cracking along the control joints after three weeks, while the old pour is still solid. Has anyone else had better luck with one method over the other for resurfacing work?
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jasonf354d ago
Ngl, that three week crack timeline is pretty telling about a bad bond from the start.
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logan6584d ago
Read a concrete contractor on another forum talking about that exact issue. He said trying to stamp an overlay over an existing broom finish is a bad idea unless you grind the hell out of it first. The old surface is too smooth and non-porous for a thick overlay to bond right, especially when you're adding the weight and stress of stamping. That three week crack timeline matches what he described, the overlay basically shrinks and pulls apart from the base. He recommended either a thin microtopping for just a color change or going full replacement if you want a stamped look. Might be worth digging into that before blaming the kit itself.
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