Staining concrete is often a better option than painting it

Q. We have an in-ground pool surrounded by concrete totaling 1,050 square feet. My problem is that over the years, where the winter cover did not protect the concrete (my husband refused to let me cover these areas with tarps to protect in winter), of course, the concrete is dirty and weather-stained. I have power-washed these areas for the last few years and now the concrete is pitted.

We would like to have it repainted or stained and are wondering if the Rust-Oleum concrete painting kits will work. We would, of course, have to have our painter do this for us — assuming he can do so. I called about resurfacing with pebble stone (too slippery and too much maintenance) and the new flex product (way too expensive — $3,250 for the first 250 square feet!).

What do you recommend? If we do repaint, I will insist on covering all concrete during our Pennsylvania winters. Also, about 20 years ago we put in a flagstone patio adjoining our house; beautiful for a while, then with our winters, the cemented grout had to be replaced. Now it is all crumbling and cracking again. My husband said to ask about polymer sand to regrout. We will do this job ourselves, hopefully.

A. If the pitting of the concrete is severe enough, it should be taken care of. This can be done by applying Top’n Bond or a similar product. (Some of these products are only available regionally; check in hardware or big-box stores and building supply centers.) Thorocrete is also a good product to use, and more widely available.

Once the patching has cured, staining is the best option, as paints are seldom successful in the long term on concrete. Check reviews on Rust-Oleum concrete paint kits on Google before deciding on it.

Polymeric sand is an option, but so is regrouting with cement mortar.

Q. We moved into our new home seven years ago, and thought we were so clever to have a patio poured before the grass went in, so the concrete truck would not damage anything. We did due diligence — my husband, working for a municipality, had worked on the concrete crew frequently, so he has a very good understanding of the process and do’s and don’ts. So we did lay a healthy layer of gravel and tamped down till the cows came home.

We had a large patio laid — 23 feet long by 13 feet wide. However, when all is said and done, it seems we did not prepare as well as we thought.

The night we poured the patio, there was a heavy storm, and water seeped into the basement through foundation cracks. Since, on the new home walk-through, we had previously identified many foundation cracks with the builder, the builder was asked to and did repair all of them after the storm event and leakage.

So, we have never had a drop of water in the basement again — thankfully. And we want to keep it that way.

However, on the concrete patio, the 13 feet to one side of the stoop has settled dramatically — it has dropped about four inches. The 10 feet to the other side has dropped also, but only about one inch. We are worried, of course, that with each rain, water is draining back against the foundation. Over time that just can’t be good, especially considering the foundation’s history. We see our options as:

Ÿ Tear up and replace the patio. Ouch.

Ÿ Build an overhang, which will keep the rain from falling on the patio. Thus blocking any sun we Chicagoans might ever get in the few months we have sun (feeling UV deprived!).

Ÿ Pour more concrete on top of the old, leveling it out, which will, I think, result in a rather large drop-off to the grass.

Ÿ Hire one of those companies who “push” the concrete up and then fill from the bottom. I am concerned that the pressure, being uncontrollable, will actually result in pressure onto the foundation wall, which would be disastrous. And, of course, the cracks would still exist in the top of the patio. Not sure if that would solve the problem or if it is safe for the house.

Ÿ Build a room addition over the patio! Yeah — the next time I have $75,000!

The patio is not pinned to the home. The concrete does have rebar in it.

A. Pouring the patio at the time of construction was a good idea. But the concrete slab should have been pinned to the house foundation every 16 to 24 inches.

To build a new house, earth is excavated about three feet larger on all sides than the house’s footprint to allow work to be performed: pouring footings, forming and pouring walls, installing a perimeter drain and backfilling.

The backfill is loose and “disturbed” earth, and it takes tamping it down in what are known as 6-inch “lifts” or allowing nature to do it over time. Final grading should be sloped away from the foundation to account for inevitable early settlement.

If the concrete patio slab had been pinned to the foundation, it would not have settled, but the soil would still have settled, creating a deep hole under the slab. This can be dealt with by pouring a cement slurry over the course of several days to minimize pressure on the foundation until the entire cavity is filled. It may need to be done again later.

Because it is likely that settlement is not complete, your options are:

Ÿ Tear up the slab and tamp down the backfill, which may not be completely successful, as tamping should be done in 6-inch layers. Then add soil and tamp it down, but do not use stones, as they will allow water to seep down through them and continue the settlement. Finally, drill holes into the foundation wall and pour a new slab, which should have a slight slope away from the foundation.

Ÿ Drill holes into the foundation wall and pour a new steel-reinforced slab over the existing one, tapering it down to a couple of inches thick at the far edge to minimize the step down to the grass. Make sure that the new cap slopes slightly away. This will take care of the cracks.

Building an overhang would not help, as the slab is slanted toward the foundation and any rain will run against it.

Mud-jacking may be an option, but make sure that if you find an experienced mud-jacker, he or she is thoroughly insured against any damage to the foundation walls. Insist on a copy of their insurance certificate. This would be my last choice, if a choice at all.

Q. We had our house regraded and new oversized gutters put on, and we thought our problem was solved. It was solved for a while, but yesterday the window well filled up with water and exploded into the basement. I know we need a new window, but I’m thinking there has to be more of a problem, like a crack or something that is clogged. Just to make it clear, the water is not going into the well, but the water is coming from the ground up into the well.

We did have four inches of rain, but there wasn’t much water around the window well, and the other three were dry. What kind of company would you suggest us calling? Or maybe we should just ask a plumber?

A. You should check to see if, after having the grade improved, soil settled around the window well that filled up and caused the problem; water can fill a well from its sides. If there is a drain pipe at the bottom of the well, did it get clogged up because its outlet was plugged up by soil buildup, grass growth, squirrel’s nest, etc.?

Four inches of rain is a lot, but commercial gutters (which I assume is what you call “oversized gutters”) and downspouts should handle that amount of water if they are not clogged with leaves or other debris — a very rare occurrence — and the downspouts discharge freely. Another thing to check is whether the gutters are installed so that gushers will not overshoot them.

A savvy handyperson or a landscape or general contractor should be able to check out these conditions for you and take care of any needed repairs.

If your window wells are not protected by wide overhangs, you may want to consider having plastic covers installed over them.

Follow-up from two readers: Regarding my recent answer to a reader afflicted with artillery fungus, which I said, from the experience of extension service specialists, cannot be removed from most sidings without causing damage, two Pennsylvania readers offer the following:

Ÿ “Use cypress mulch to prevent this problem. To remove the spores, wait till freezing weather and they scrape off, as they are now very hard. I had this problem here in Pa.”

Ÿ “I am president of the Botanical Society of Westmoreland County, Pa.

Last year at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie, the master gardeners suggested mixing mushroom compost in with your hardwood mulch to prevent the fungus. It does prevent the growth.”

Will anyone who tries either or both of these suggestions and finds them successful over a whole year, please let me know? A lot of people could benefit from these tips.

Ÿ Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. Write to him in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or via email at henridemarne@gmavt.net.

© 2012, United Feature Syndicate Inc.