Pro Tips: How to Resurface Concrete Slabs for a Like-New Finish | Sakrete DIY Guide

[@taylor7701]

Ive used competing but similar products, first time was pretty rough, its really hard to get the finish consistent, imagine trying to get pancake batter really consistent by using a squeegee. Def work in small sections cause you only have a few min max. What I found works best to get a nice even/level/smooth application is apply it and squeege it on like he shows, and instead of broom finishing, i take a big tile grout sponge, lightly dampen it, and smooth over the entire surface. It will help knock down higher areas and you can blend it at the edges/joints so it looks nice. Have a 5 gallon bucket or two of water and every few passes rinse out the sponge and repeat. Recommend using knee pads while smoothing. If you have a driveway with spalling, rock pops, cracks, etc do good prep, power wash, fill the cracks and holes, then if you come over with a product like this, for a few hundred dollars you can have a new looking concrete driveway, saving up to tens of thousands over tearout and a new driveway pour. I sealed with foundation armour products, because they have ones you can tint, so a light grey makes it look like a fresh poured driveway. Also, if you have any voids, instead of mud or poly jacking, if the concrete hasnt yet sunk, they now make a diy version of basically like great stuff foam but very high psi rated, and you can drill holes into your driveway, and fill the voids. Much much cheaper than having a company do the mud jacking. I think a single kit will do up to 10 cubic feet for around $500, way better than the $2500 quotes I was getting.

[@SakreteOfficial]

This is killer advice!

[@montetackett9320]

This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for. Thanks for posting!

[@SakreteOfficial]

Right on! Glad it was helpful. Don't hesitate to give our Tech Team a call at 866-SAKRETE or Live Chat with them on Sakrete.com if you've got any additional questions.

[@Duraamen-Flooring]

Excellent tutorial on resurfacing concrete slabs! Clear instructions and practical tips make it easy to tackle this project and give your surfaces a fresh new look.

[@SakreteOfficial]

That's some high praise - thanks!

[@guitaracademyarchive]

I can't wait until Spring comes so I can tune up the concrete apron on my garage. Great video!

[@SakreteOfficial]

Just make sure to power wash the heck out of that slab before laying anything down! Grease and oil are concrete's worst enemies...

[@anthonynotarino7793]

@@SakreteOfficial You can put the Flo-Coat over repairs made with Top-n-Bond ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely.

[@speedracer2336]

I have tried many of these expensive coverings. Portland cement mixed with water and bonding agent works better for me, inexpensive too!

[@SakreteOfficial]

Man, you are an artist if you're able to mix up a surface coating by eye like that! Tricky proposition.

[@speedracer2336]

@@SakreteOfficial an old mason here on YT, Mike Haduck, explains how to do it. I patched and coated my driveway and it looks like a fresh pour. My estimate for the repair and surfacing was almost 4K. I have to apply a new coating and small repairs every two years. Takes about three hours total. It’s an inexpensive repair and anyone can do it!

[@SakreteOfficial]

We'll have to check out Mr. Haduck's channel! Thanks for the heads up.

[@jakefriesenjake]

​$4k for a fix and resurface is nuts. That's the cost of a whole brand new pour! I know about Mike, he's awesome. It's called "painting with portland" @@speedracer2336

[@geoffy0404]

I plan on using this on my patio outside. Two quick questions: 1) Is there anything I could spray or apply on top to increase the durability? 2) I went to my big box store and they had half a pallet of flo coat. Everything bag was rock hard. Are those bags okay to use or should it be a sandy consistency?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Good questions! Answering #2 first...if the product is hard on the shelf, it's been exposed to moisture and should NOT be used. Let the store know they've got defective product on their hands if you're feeling like a good Samaritan! To answer your first question, we definitely recommend laying down a coat of Concrete Cure 'N Seal after pouring Flo-Coat. It's a great way to ensure a proper cure and also seal the surface against staining.

[@frankrogers5120]

Can you use a paint roller

[@SakreteOfficial]

We haven't found that to be particularly effective. The rolling motion introduces a lot of air into the mix which can lead to pinholing and an uneven finish - squeegee (or trowel for smaller areas) is definitely preferred.

[@BioMedUSA]

Could you elaborate on the differences / applications for Flo-Coat vs Top-n-Bond ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

The difference is really in application style. Flo-Coat is flowable and is intended for application using a squeegee / gauge rake. Top 'N Bond is too thick to be spread that way - it's a trowel-applied mix.

[@AndrewAnderson-y1l]

do you have to broom finish? is there anyway to have a smooth finish?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Broom finish certainly isn't mandatory - Flo-Coat will give you a nice smooth finish if left alone. You're not going to get a glossy, dense finish like you could with hard troweled concrete, but certainly smooth.

[@billmitchell5805]

Good morning, our driveway is showing that blue stone at the surface. Will this product work for me. Since it's a driveway about 80 feet long x 10 feet wide, should I get a pro for my project? Thanks

[@SakreteOfficial]

Morning! Yep, this is exactly what you'd want to use...but it definitely sounds like you've got a pro-scale project on your hands here.

[@andyg2835]

Where can i found this product,love you for showing, thank you

[@SakreteOfficial]

Most big-box retailers carry this mix. Check out Sakrete.com/Where-To-Buy to find your closest dealer!

[@pretty95138]

whats the longevity of this overlay? does it start to crack in couple years?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Done correctly, Flo-Coat will perform beautifully for MANY years - it's actually stronger than the underlying concrete!

[@usernameofutube]

1:52 so which product is for leveling? top'n bond to fill my garage entrance dings and dent, need to resurface with this, but also need to fix the slanted garage concrete entrance.

[@SakreteOfficial]

Correct that Top 'N Bond is your go-to for filling in those dings and dents, and it can TECHNICALLY also be used to resurface. Flo-Coat is just easier to use over large surface areas since it's applied with a squeegee instead of a trowel. Regarding your question about leveling, we have several great options, with Fast Setting Self-Leveling Resurfacer being the best. However, you generally will not want to use a leveling product outdoors (even in a garage) as those slabs are typically intended to slope to ensure good drainage.

[@bajamike9276]

My city rebuilt the sidewalks in front of my house and the workers left curing chemical footprints that wont come out with a pressure wash. They said they will fix it by June 24, 2024. What are they gonna do to fix it do you think?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Well, the PROPER fix would be some sort of an overlay like Top 'N Bond or Flo-Coat but they might just come back and do an acid wash across the entire sidewalk to make the footprints blend in. We're invested in the outcome now, so let us know what ends up happening!

[@rzsanati]

Do you have to do a broom finish? Can you do anything else besides broom?

[@SakreteOfficial]

You could definitely leave this as a smooth finish, but a broom finish is always recommended for outdoor applications. Also helps to hide any imperfections in the finish!

[@oceanair9964]

Either I had an improper cure or I over worked my concrete. will this work to give it a hard top surface? Because right now if I rub my foot on the surface of the new pad it rubs away all grainy like. Thanks

[@SakreteOfficial]

Starting finishing too early, having too much water in the mix or improper curing could all be causes, but Flo-Coat would be a solid solution for getting the hard top finish you're looking for. Biggest watch-out will be making sure that you're properly prepping the surface by removing all loose aggregate. Getting down to a solid, clean surface is critical!

[@oceanair9964]

@@SakreteOfficial thank you

[@anthonynotarino7793]

Any recommendations if you are doing an apron ? Little of an incline to enter a shed ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Pouring a brand new one or resurfacing an old one? Assuming you're talking about resurfacing, we'd actually recommend using Flo-Coat's sister product, Top 'N Bond. Check it out here: sakrete.com/product/top-n-bond-concrete-patcher/ This formula is designed to be mixed a little drier than Flo-Coat and trowel-applied, which will work much better for a sloped application like you're describing. Plenty of working time on this mix to allow you to finish it nicely and it'll go from a feather edge all the way up to 2" deep so you can tackle the whole project in one shot. Shoot us back a message or give us a call at 866-SAKRETE if you want to dig into this more!

[@anthonynotarino7793]

@@SakreteOfficial yes I just want to resurface. The concrete is not broken I like to get it looking uniformed as far as color and get a few more years

[@SakreteOfficial]

Top 'N Bond will be a slam dunk for you, in that case!

[@AskTheKid]

Does it dry white like concrete?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Flo-Coat is typically going to be a touch darker than the existing concrete, but that's standard for any fresh concrete. Pour a little test so you know what to expect before starting the full job!

[@markvietti]

Can I add color too it?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely! Cement Color actually works very well with Flo-Coat.

[@dreerd123]

Previous owner of my house painted the driveway red and now it's fading , can this product be used on painted driveways?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely - you're just going to want to REMOVE that old paint first!

[@dreerd123]

@@SakreteOfficial good answer , just not what I wanted to hear. LOL

[@SakreteOfficial]

Haha, hate to be the bearer of bad news! Sounds like a fun day with a pressure washer...

[@paisteplayer1040]

How long till you can drive and park on it ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Flo-Coat's strength gain curve is very similar to standard concrete, so although final strength is about 20% higher, we still recommend keeping vehicles off of it for 7 days after pouring.

[@paisteplayer1040]

@@SakreteOfficial Thx

[@SakreteOfficial]

You got it!

[@franciscoesterripa7912]

Can I reshape the broken edges too ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

You can, but that'd be a different mix - something like Fast Setting Cement Patcher would be ideal. Fix the cracks, corners and chips, then resuface!

[@karinvalle3294]

What would the maximum thickness that you can do?

[@SakreteOfficial]

With Fast Setting Cement Patcher, you can go up to 2" in a single pour.

[@davidcrocker4276]

How do you finish the edges????

[@SakreteOfficial]

Overpour is probably the best method! Dig an inch or two into the soil bordering the slab and just let it run off the edges - nice and easy.

[@daniels1715]

Will this help a bad concrete stamp job look better? Had a slab poured 3 months ago and they did a horrible stamp job.

[@SakreteOfficial]

It'd be a good option to cover it up! Stamping is a tricky proposition...

[@commonman711]

Doing touch ups with a grinder is helpful

[@Ryan_Erkkila]

We have a cobblestone stamped concrete driveway slab that we have a basketball hoop on and is a bastard to dribble on. I was maybe considering smoothing it out with this product. Roughly 30’ x 30’. Grooves in places are upwards of 3/8”. Should this be a disaster to try to smooth it out with this product. The slab is cut into 1/4s and is in great shape so no concerns with this it’s just impossible to dribble efficiently on it. Smoothing it out would be so nice but I don’t want it failing given the variable depths and such. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

[@anthonynotarino7793]

You can put the Flo-Coat over repairs made with Top-n-Bond ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Yep! They're "sister products" so they actually work together very nicely.

[@rms5654]

Why do you use a pad for demo that looks great to begin with?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Didn't have time to weather it for 15 years!

[@lucasday7330]

I’ve got a lot of oil spots in a 5 year old driveway. The oil spots are dry but you can clearly see them. Can this apply right over after power wash or do I need to grind out the oil spots?

[@SakreteOfficial]

We'd make sure that you REALLY power wash the heck out of those oil spots with a high-quality detergent before topping. It might be okay, but concrete and oil are not friends! Overdoing the prep work will ensure this project turns out as good as possible.

[@htoro]

A few questions, if this is being used in a garage where I would like to apply epoxy paint over it. Does it need to be finished with a broom? Also, will Surface need to be etched or sanded before applying the epoxy paint? Thanks

[@SakreteOfficial]

The broom finish is not a mandatory, and might actually be a hassle if you're going to epoxy over it. Re: etching or sanding prior to epoxy application, you'd have to refer to the epoxy instructions. Flo-Coat is going to perform just like standard concrete, though obviously quite a bit thinner, so be careful about getting too aggressive with any abrasion. Hit up the 866-SAKRETE team if you'd like to talk through it in real time!

[@mariacarrillo3027]

is this product paintable

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely! Just give it the full 28-day cure before painting for best results.

[@stuartfarrell6729]

is this stampable

[@SakreteOfficial]

Yessir - though you're going to have to pour it a bit thicker in order to give the stamp enough material to work with!

[@stuartfarrell6729]

@@SakreteOfficial my plan is to go 3/8 of an inch

[@SakreteOfficial]

That should do it!

[@rcarioca]

why not use Top N Bond ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

While that would be TECHNICALLY feasible, Top 'N Bond is only designed to be trowel-applied, which would make for a very time-consuming process over a large surface area. Flo-Coat has a few extra "bells and whistles" in the mix that allow it to be mixed to a looser consistency that's compatible with the squeegee application method we're showing here.

[@rcarioca]

@@SakreteOfficial so using top n bond for patching minor spall in stair case platform and resurfacing a whole step of a stair is ok with trowel ?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely. For that size of an area, Top 'N Bond would actually be the best choice!

[@garygarramone5041]

Can you power wash this product.

[@SakreteOfficial]

Absolutely - after the full 28-day cure, Flo-Coat is actually stronger than standard concrete.

[@johnjperricone7856]

OK. I just used this product on an 8 x 50 concrete patio. 1. Bag to bag, the variation in the consistency of the material was completely unpredictable. One bag would come out too wet, one perfect, one dry.... A total of 6 bags were used. The end result was really poor. Uneven, sharp spots, ridges, and ripples. I am going to have to grind just about the whole surface. 2. It is not self-leveling in any sense of the word. In fact, the slurry, whether I got it right or not, was setting up IN THE FIVE GALLON BUCKET within 1-2 minutes at most. Working a full bucket without adding water constantly was impossible. 3. The squeegee left lines of material on the far side of where I pulled from that set up instantly and will have to be grinded out. I watched the video here and other Sakrete installs, and had a helper, and we could not get the consistency right, FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER. An 8-hour long disaster of a job that will probably take an extra -free- 8 hours to make right.

[@SakreteOfficial]

John, hate to hear that - sorry this one didn't work out for you. Get in touch with our Technical Team at 866-SAKRETE, as we'd definitely like to make sure defective product wasn't in play here. Would be more than happy to get the material replaced for you. The inconsistency from bag to bag is a particular red flag. Give us a call - we'll do everything we can to help make this one right!

[@johnjperricone7856]

@@SakreteOfficial I will call. It is unfortunate that product replacement won't help, but we appreciate that you guys stand behind your goods.

[@SakreteOfficial]

Least we can do! Let us know what we can do to help.

[@atpo1151]

Καλησπέρα απο Ελλάδα. Εχω ενα πεζοδρόμιο το οποίο εχει ιδη τσιμεντο,εγω όμως θελω να προσθέσω και άλλο απο επάνω ωστε να ειναι στο ιδιο ύψος με το κρασπεδο. Τι πρέπει να κάνω; Στην Ελλάδα λένε μονο πλακακια. Εσείς τι λέτε;

[@SakreteOfficial]

Συγγνώμη για την κακή Μετάφραση Google, αλλά φαίνεται ότι θέλετε είτε να δημιουργήσετε μια "ράμπα" ή ενδεχομένως να σηκώσετε ολόκληρη την επιφάνεια για να ταιριάζει. Δείτε αυτά τα βίντεο: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHnTkqp8rbOfjqM και kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6Cxd2ODlsyFqac

[@atpo1151]

@@SakreteOfficial Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ για το ενδιαφέρον.

[@rayray9777]

Remember when you need some resurfacing get in your vehicle and go go and get the Flo Flo

[@SakreteOfficial]

You know know!

[@jerrynonofbss2588]

Top N Bond is a better option money wise.

[@williamjackson5942]

Top N Bond is a patcher Flo Coat is a resurfacer... what are you trying to say?

[@SakreteOfficial]

Interestingly, they are VERY similar products - it's just about how you want to apply them! Top 'N Bond is formulated to be trowel-applied, whereas Flo-Coat is much more flowable in order to be squeegee-applied. Cost per square foot of coverage is actually identical. Just about how you're comfortable getting it laid down! EDIT: Flo-Coat is typically going to be more expensive than Top 'N Bond - it's a significantly more highly-engineered formula.

[@jerrynonofbss2588]

@@SakreteOfficial Top N bond is $19 per 40lb bag, flo-coat is $34 per 40lb bag. Where do you get the cost per square foot is the same? The coverage is the same but not the price.

[@SakreteOfficial]

@jerrynonofbss2588 Usually don't see THAT big of a price discrepancy...heck of a deal on Top 'N Bond! That said, a correction to that previous comment is in order: Flo-Coat is a bit "fancier" of a mix, so you should actually expect to pay a bit more per bag. Our mistake!

[@angelawatkins4790]

How much would this costs to have someone do ? Smart assets need not reply

[@glennsantoyo559]

I'd charge $5 a sqftx2

[@SakreteOfficial]

Dang, we'd go with @glennsantoyo559 at those prices!

[@sparkh.9345]

Yeah but what's it look like when its dry sakrete videos never show that.

[@SakreteOfficial]

Looks like concrete, baby! Seriously though, patches are generally slightly darker than existing concrete, but will lighten as they age. Also a good point - we'll make a note to show the final cured product in the future!

[@daisybeagle6259]

Great advice but you never talk in depth about the edges and how to finish them correctly!

[@SakreteOfficial]

Good point! We'll look into updating this one to cover that topic.