How to Finish a Concrete Patio

With planning, you can achieve a custom finish.

The shoveling is over, the concrete truck is gone and you've leveled the wet concrete with a vibrating screed or a manual screed. Now it's time to finish the pour and admire your handiwork. Because concrete sets up very quickly in some instances, you must move fast in order to achieve the desired surface. Plain concrete patios require little more than floating, brooming, edging and cutting, but if you want a stamped finish or an aggregate look, now's your chance.

Things You'll Need

• Bull float
• Concrete broom
• Concrete trowel and edging tools
• Aggregate (if desired)
• Concrete stamps (if desired)
• Water hose
• Power trowel (for a large patio)
• Concrete saw

Instructions

1. 

   Float the wet surface of just-poured concrete with a bull float. This is a large aluminum float with a smooth undersurface. You may rent a bull float at a construction rental store; ask for expandable poles in order to reach from one side of the concrete to the other.

2. Position the bull float flat on the closest edge of the wet concrete and push it gently toward the opposite side. Keep a very slight angle on the float, with the far side approximately ½-inch higher than the near side. When the float reaches the end of the patio, lift the pole to raise the near side of the bull float and pull it back toward you. Use a hand-over-hand motion instead of walking to create a smooth surface.

3. Lift the bull float and place it next to the strip you just floated and repeat the process. Floating encourages the larger particles of sand and rock to settle downward, and it brings moisture to the surface. You will notice water in some areas, and this is to be expected.

4. Add a custom touch to your concrete patio by using a concrete stamp or by sprinkling aggregate on top of the wet concrete and using the bull float to push it just beneath the surface. If you're using aggregate, spread stones of similar size and smooth them downward until the tops of the stones are even with the concrete surface. As the concrete sets, use a concrete broom or a large wire brush to dislodge the crumbly edges of the concrete, revealing the surface of the stones.

5. 

   Move quickly if you're stamping a patio. Patio stamps come in many designs and can give your concrete the look of bricks, cobblestones or flagstones just by pressing the stamp into the wet concrete. The difficult part here is keeping your pattern even while moving quickly to stamp the entire area before the concrete sets. If you're pouring the concrete on a hot day, consider renting more than one stamp and assigning a knowledgeable assistant to use one stamp while you use the other.

6. 

   Broom on the surface of nearly dry concrete to provide texture. You can rent a concrete broom or use a push-type industrial broom if it has stiff bristles. Broom in one direction only. Concrete that dries smooth without brooming becomes a slippery hazard later when it gets wet. Brooming provides a measure of safety.

7. Finish the edges of the patio with hand edging tools. Fit the curved end of the edger into the crack between the nearly set concrete and the form and slide it back and forth to form a smooth, curved edge on your patio. Repeat this all the way around the perimeter of the patio.

8. Cut your dry patio with a concrete saw unless you used a stamp. In many places, the ground shifts, causing the concrete to develop hairline cracks. By cutting the dry patio with a concrete saw, you control where the patio will crack. These "control joints" are unnecessary if you've stamped the patio, providing a pattern that will control future cracking.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask the concrete company to add dye to your concrete before delivering it to your home. Dyes must be thoroughly incorporated into the wet concrete before you pour it.

• Wear protective goggles and and clothing when pouring or cutting concrete.

Resources

• Use a handy online concrete calculator before you pour.