How to Layer a Cement Sidewalk

Clean the old cement using a power washer and scrubbing brush. Pour stain remover over oil stains and scrub it with a stiff brush. Hose off any cleaning solution and remaining debris and wait a few hours for the surface to dry.

Fill in cracks, pits and any chips in the surface with reinforced vinyl patch compound. Use a putty knife to tamp the compound into the holes and fan the material over surrounding cement with a flat trowel.

Cover any expansion joints with strips of duct tape long enough to extend across the width of the sidewalk. Expansion joints are semi-flexible material installed between sections of a slab to allow the cement to shift and expand without forming jagged cracks.

Empty a bag of concrete mix in a large wheelbarrow, adding small amounts of water at a time. Stir it with an electric paddle mixer until it has a spreadable consistency.

Scoop small piles of concrete over the sidewalk, using a shovel. Have a helper spread a 1/4-to-1/2-inch layer of concrete over the sidewalk with a trowel. Push a squeegee across the width of the sidewalk to remove any impressions left by the trowel.

Move a medium-bristled push broom gently over the wet concrete to add subtle texture so the surface will be slip-resistant.

Remove the duct tape covering the expansion joints and wait about two days for the surface to cure before allowing foot traffic.