a wicked cool decorative concrete resurfacing option.

Looking for a cool idea for the pool deck or backyard patio?

A decorative concrete knockdown finish will fit the bill.

A knockdown finish on horizontal concrete is not dissimilar to the knockdown finishes common on drywall. It involves a cementitious material that is dispensed by hopper gun, applied with spatter brush, or in some cases screeded, troweled and textured with rollers or stamping tools.

The textured material is “knocked down” with a trowel shortly after application, when the material is partially but not totally dry, to level the high points. This produces a more uniform, less-rough surface that is comfortable to the bare foot while providing resistance to slip.

Using the knockdown method to apply an overlay gives visual appeal to otherwise gray or aged concrete by adding color and texture.

The finish makes the surface cooler on hot summer days.

“By using a texture that imparts peaks and valleys, you can lessen the surface area that the bare foot comes in contact with,” said Rob Johnson of Artcon Concrete, located in Massachusetts. “The valleys then act as a cooler zone filled with air, leaving only the peaks for the foot to come in contact with.”

Proper preparation:

Though knockdown finishes are relatively uncomplicated in design and installation, expert practitioners of the knockdown art emphasize the importance of proper practices and techniques to ensure the finish meets target durability and performance parameters.

“The most important things are preparation and accurate measuring of the product,” says Johnson

Important preparation procedures include inspection to determine if the surface is clean and free of existing coatings or sealers. Consider whether a hard-troweled surface should be ground or scarified to open up the concrete to ensure the overlay will penetrate and adhere. Also, adjacent areas should be masked for protection from overspray.

Johnson said a typical system installed by Artcon includes a polymeric coating-type material that is applied as a bonding agent or primer, a base coat of the cementitious product — often a polymer-modified material, and a finish coat using the same cementitious material but applied with a hopper gun that dispenses globules over most, but not all, of the surface. Protective sealers, based on acrylic, polyurethane or other chemistries, can be applied to the finished knockdown surface.

You can contact Artcon for your free consultation:

Artcon Concrete

603-820-6364