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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:33 pm
by sy76uk
I'm a paver myself and did a job late last year replacing a patio. The client had an old concrete circle down that had been laid on spots and was destined for the skip. I managed to get it all up in one piece so I decided to clean it up and lay it in my own back garden. After pressure washing i noticed it is very faded. It looks like it's been cleaned with undiluted patio cleaner at some point. Anyway its laid now and just needs to be pointed. I had the idea that a bit of straight diluted mortar die might spruce them up? Any other suggestions?
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:22 pm
by lutonlagerlout
mmm
an acid wash can bring the colours back a little but you must make sure that the slabs are thoroughly wetted first
there are companies that can dye brickwork to match
a quick search found this stuff
tekstain
good luck
LLL
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:27 pm
by sy76uk
lutonlagerlout wrote:mmm
an acid wash can bring the colours back a little but you must make sure that the slabs are thoroughly wetted first
there are companies that can dye brickwork to match
a quick search found this stuff
tekstain
good luck
LLL
Acid wash won't bring the co;our back in these. The slabs look like they were originally a marigold colour. Now they are faded to the point that you can see the cement in the concrete.
Thank's for the link for the concrete stain. I did a quick search myself and found one or two similar products. Thing is I don't like using anything unless I know someone who has used the same product before which is why I posted this thread up here.
If not I'll just leave them as is and point them up. This is only a rented place which is why I haven't spent money on new materials, it'll still look nice because it's been laid well and it'll have fresh mortar joint's.
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:30 pm
by lutonlagerlout
TBH sy you know what you should have done with them in the first place
binned them....
I am as guilty as the next man for this sort of thing that is why I have a skip on my drive at the minute full of all sorts of little bits and pieces I thought would come in handy from jobs.
relaid and repointed they might look passable
but I wouldnt do it for a client IYKWIM
LLL :;):
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:31 am
by Tony McC
The dyes, stains and paints that are promoted as suitable for concrete and stone paving are, more or less without exception, shite.
I've not seen one yet that kept its looks for more than a year. The dyes and stains fade almost as you watch them and the paints abrade and flake leaving a really patchy looking effect.
Some fluffy-brained garden makeover 'artiste' decided to re-colour plain grey pimple-faced 3x2s in Barbie Pink on a project a few years back. The fact that she wanted godawful pink should have earned her a bullet between the eyes to put her out of her misery (and protect the rest of us from her ludicrous ideas), but the fact that the flags had already begun a somewhat patchy descent into fade-o-rama by the time they were due to be filmed for the 'money shot' to close the programme convinced me of the worthlessness of the idea and, fittingly, it was the last time the pink-obsessed little fairy was seen on telly. 
And the cost! It cost me 76 quid +VAT to get enough of the dye to colour half a dozen of the flags. It would have been cheaper to buy new.....in fact, it might have been cheaper to commission someone to manufacture new flags for us. But of course, this particular prog was only concerned with the look and not the price.
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:49 pm
by sy76uk
On any other occasion LLL they would have gone in the skip but the place were in at the minute is just a rented place that didn't have a patio. I won't spend money on a rented place but I don't mind a bit of graft and the circle set is better than the old gray 3x2's or buff riven's I'm usually skipping. I wouldn't have sold it on to a client though.
I thought that might be the case Tony. I picked up some brown mortar die on my way home from work tonight and had a bit of a test on an old riven slab I had lying around. I mixed it up 50/50 with cement then diluted it down to liquid and sponged it into the slab the same way that you'd finish shuttered concrete. wont't know how it will look till it dries out but it's worth a try. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:38 am
by Tony McC
I'll hazard a guess regarding how it will turn out. Begins with 's' and ends with a 't'.
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:28 pm
by lutonlagerlout
is it gone yet? :;):
LLL
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:14 pm
by sy76uk
had a look tonight and tbh it look's crap. Worth a go but I'll be leaving the circle as is.
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:18 am
by Tony McC
Post a photie....I dare you! :p
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:43 am
by r896neo
I'd love to see a photo of the pink ones!!
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:09 pm
by sy76uk
I'll post some pics when it's done. Just to be clear, the circle isn't being re-coloured. The test slab came out a good solid colour but I doubt very much it's a durable finish. I started laying a charcoal header course round it but ran out of charcoals so I had to go swap a few brindles I had lying around over. Might finish the headers off in the morning and dig the rest of the garden over but I'll wait for better weather before I point it up. I'm in no rush just as long as the gardens finished before the weather warms up.