How to Repair and Decorate Broken Patio Concrete

Sweep the area then hose it off to remove any debris. Let the surface dry for two days.

Dig a trench around the concrete patio with a shovel. The trench needs to be 4 inches wide and 5 inches deep.

Measure the patio width and add 5 inches to it. Cut a 2-by-6 board to fit this length with a power saw. If the side closest to the house is exposed or your patio isn't up against the house, then cut a second board to the same length.

Measure and cut two 2-by-6 boards for the sides of the patio. The side boards need to be the length of the patio plus 4 inches if only three sides of the patio are exposed or plus 8 inches if all four are exposed.

Create a frame for the three exposed sides of the patio. Drill the ends of the boards together with 3-inch screws to make the frame.

Place the frame in the trench around the patio. It will fit up against the dirt, away from the patio, leaving a space for the resurfacing material to coat the sides of the patio. The 2-by-6 boards are actually 5-1/2 inches wide after processing. Since you dug a 5-inch deep trench, the boards rise above the ground by 1/2-inch. This is how thick your overlay, or resurfacing, is going to be.

Mix up cement resurfacing material in a wheelbarrow. Add together 2 parts coarse sand and 1 part cement powder. Add water to the mix and stir. The overlay needs to be the consistency of pancake batter.

Stir together, in a separate bucket, cement powder and water. Mix this to a consistency of paint.

Brush the cement paint onto the patio surface, side edges and cracks. The paint will work its way into all the crevices and pores of the old concrete and help the new surface bond to the old.

Pour the new overlay cement over the patio while the paint mixture is still wet. Depending on the size of your patio, you may need several wheelbarrows full of the mixture ready at one time.

Smooth the surface out with a trowel then level it. Place a board across the frame and drag it from one end of the patio to the other to level the cement.

Wait for the cement to dry on the surface then spray water on it. Cover the new overlay with plastic to stop the moisture from evaporating quickly. Leave it in place for a week while the cement cures slowly.

Remove the plastic after a week.

Sweep the surface.

Mix together 1 part water to 1 part concrete acid stain in a garden sprayer. Select any color you like.

Spray the surface of the concrete in a back and forth motion if you want a solid color. Spray in a quick sporadic swirl pattern if you prefer a light dusting of color. Fill a second sprayer with a separate color if you want a layered look.