I purchased a home with an existing VERY old aggregate patio. A few years ago I dumped a boatload of money into it to try and fix it, and it lasted about two years. Now I just want to get rid of it. There is a concrete patio underneath the aggregate layer but I want to save that so how do I remove the aggregate layer without destroying the concrete underneath it? Thoughts….
How to remove exposed aggregate patio
patioremoval
Related Solutions
If you have plenty of time, and don't want to hire power tools, you can do it a bit at a time over several weeks (months?). It will be hard work but anyone can do it.
That's a brick bolster and a club hammer, which is what I had to hand when I needed to break up some brickwork. You could try some other type of cold chisel or hammer. It depends what you can borrow or what advice you can get from the local store.
The brickwork I was attacking was set with mortar. If your concrete turns out to be too tough you may have to try power tools instead.
It so happens I have an old cheap Chinese-made SDS hammer drill that had been used to break up a large heap of set asphalt (you can buy these very cheaply, they won't be very durable but OK for occasional light use). These things usually have a rotation-stop lever and come with a chisel. I'd probably escalate to that before considering hiring a jackhammer.
A tool-hire shop should be able to advise.
Yes, what you have is stone dust, and it is what I used as the top 2.5" layer under my patios. It is perfect for making grade adjustments to the patio. Keep in mind under the 2.5" top layer there should be a 4 - 6" base of compactable gravel for best drainage.
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Best Answer
Aggregate is the gravel and sand that is mixed with cement and water to make concrete. so the surface you see is the concrete of the patio.
Exposed aggregate is prepared by applying a chemical to the surface of fresh concrete which slows the hardening of the top layer. when the bulk of the concrete is hard the top cement is hosed off exposing the aggregate. (the run-off makes a real mess)
You've got a few options to resurface. you could use a skim coat of mortar slurry with some additive to improve bonding resulting in a classic concrete looking surface. or a leveling compound. It probably wants a good cleaning before you try to bond anything to it.
Or you could grind it down to get the terazzo-like look of cut concrete
Or you could tile it.