How to Prepare Your Concrete Patio for Some New Titles
Concrete is one of the most durable and efficient modern materials and is found in virtually every structure across Australia. It is relatively easy to install and can be expected to last for generations, while being aesthetically pleasing and quite easy to repair. If you have a concrete floor forming your outdoor patio, you may be thinking about a renovation and, in particular, might like to put some decorative tiles down as well. In this case, you need to make sure that the concrete is perfectly ready for your work if you're going to ensure a good outcome. How can this be achieved?
The Grinding Process
Given the passage of time, it's inevitable that certain structural problems and cosmetic issues will begin to appear in any concrete structure. This can be especially the case where heavy foot traffic takes place, but it can even affect your outdoor patio, which is subject to the vagaries of mother nature.
In order to fix concrete effectively, you will have to engage a process that involves concrete grinding, honing and polishing, but as you intend to cover the concrete surface with your own decorative tiles, then you will only need to grind it to a certain condition instead.
The Precision Required
Some people think that they can simply press ahead with their tiling project without worrying about the concrete base underneath. However, you will inevitably come across a certain number of imperfections that will get in the way of your tiling effort, and these can be remedied by someone with an experienced hand.
The Steps
To make sure this process is done correctly, the initial focus should be on the high spots where two concrete slabs may come together. This will call for the use of an edging tool before the larger grinder is pressed into service.
Then, long and parallel passes should be made along the entire surface with the main grinder, and you may need to repeat this process a couple of times. Once that is done, then you should work at right angles to the original direction to make sure that the entire job is uniform.
The Finer Detail
If any of these areas are hard to reach, then you can always use a hand-held tool to complete your task. Remember, time spent here will repay you in dividends once you get into your tiling work, as it would be a great shame to have to start from scratch due to poor quality preparation.
Given the scale of the job and the precision needed, it's best to outsource this task to an experienced contractor.