OVERLAYS

Spray-Top and Roll-Top overlays are revolutionary products I recommend for most applications where the condition of the concrete is fine, but it's just ugly and needs to be re-colored/cleaned up. They are polymer-modified cement coatings applied with a special paint gun or roller. 

They go on so thin that the existing texture of the concrete is preserved. Pay close attention to that last sentence as this product is not intended to change the existing surface texture whatsoever. The texture you have before you apply the product is the same texture you will have after the product is applied. Here are some of the product's applications:

- Resurface concrete that is stained, faded, or discolored to a like-new appearance.

- Resurface decorative stamped concrete that has faded or discolored over the years. Re-color to provide the original color or a different color without changing the original pattern or texture.

- Use as a resurfacing coat for providing a uniform colored cement surface prior to applying a stain and sealer.

 Self-leveling  overlay systems for concrete floors offer numerous advantages. They can  correct uneven floors, repair damaged concrete, and provide a smooth  and durable new surface for decorative treatments. These flowable  polymer-modified toppings have the ability to self level without  troweling, making them a quick solution for smoothing and leveling worn  or uneven concrete. In many cases, self-leveling toppings serve a purely  utilitarian purpose, such as correcting uneven or damaged floors or  serving as an underlayment for tile, carpet, or other floor coverings.  But you can also use self-leveling overlays for decorative purposes, by  adding integral color to the self-leveling system or by enhancing the  overlay using stains and dyes. The overlay can be left seamless (except  at control joints) or used as a canvas for saw cut or engraved designs.  Or you can incorporate decorative inlays, such as strips of wood or  metal, by adhering them to the base concrete and then pouring the  overlay to the level of the inlay. 

 Sometimes  there's no better way to finish an overlay than to get down on your  hands and knees and go to town with a trowel. Not only do the  imperfections of a hand-troweled floor have artistic merit in their own  right (a concrete artisan's trowel marks are as unique as an artist's  brush strokes), but they will cause stains and tinted sealers to react  with the coating unevenly, resulting in marbled or mottled looks. They are the good kind of messy!