How to Redo Your Cement Porch

Build a frame around the porch with lumber to keep the overlay material from running. The frame needs to be at least 1/4 inch wider, longer and taller than the porch. Use 3-inch screws to hold the ends of the frame together.

Mix a batch of cement with water in a bucket to the thickness of paint. The thin cement will help bond the old cement to the new.

Add the dry ingredients of your overlay to a wheelbarrow. Depending on the size of your porch, you might need to use more than one wheelbarrow. You can mix a new batch in one, while the other is being poured onto the porch. The mix for a good porch overlay consists of 1 part cement to 2 parts coarse sand.

Mix water with the overlay to a wet-mud consistency.

Paint the thinned cement onto the porch in the area where you are about to start pouring. It's a good idea to have a few helpers with you to do some of these tasks.

Pour the cement overlay on top of the painted area before it dries and spread it out with a trowel. Let someone continue to paint the porch surface while another person pours cement over it and spreads it out. Repeat until the surface is filled.

Place a long 2-by-2 piece of wood across the frame and drag it over the porch area to smooth the overlay and level it out with the frame.

Let the overlay dry for a couple of hours until the damp sheen is no longer visible. Lightly sprinkle it with water and cover the cement with a plastic sheet to retain the moisture. The slower the cement sets up, the harder it becomes. Leave the plastic on it for a week, and lift it up once a day to spray it with water.