Refurbishing Stamped Concrete

What is this grasshopper looking at?

A friend told me one should never remove a concrete patio's patina. Well, one man's patina is another man's twenty years accumulation of dirt and mildew, and Lou determined that our old concrete parking court, patio and walkway needed a good power washing. The walkway and steps which lead to the garden are of stamped concrete in a flagstone pattern, originally stained by professionals to resemble the real thing. The same stamped concrete feature also trims both the parking court and the patio. At first I wanted genuine stones. The stamped concrete was a compromise made for budget and practicality, and it functioned well and looked nice.

Over the years our concrete had developed a lot of 'patina'. A good power wash removed all that dirt in no time, but to our dismay we realized the original coloring of our stamped concrete was almost gone, with many areas stripped bare.

No problem. We would simply cover it with a good concrete stain. It seemed too daunting a task to duplicate the original colorings, but we thought a solid color would be OK. It wouldn't look like stone, but the pattern would still be attractive. 

We tested a small area. It looked awful.

We tried a different color, and it still looked terrible. A dreadful realization was coming to me. The only way this would look good again would be to restore the stone colorings. Which meant I would have to painstakingly hand stain: Every. Single. Individual. Stone. Hundreds of them. And because I am the one who enjoys decorative painting, and Lou doesn't have the artistic inclination, I knew I would have to do this myself. Our power washing had escalated into a major project.

The best way to handle such an undertaking is to just do it. For several days I spent every spare moment sitting on hard concrete under a blazing sun. The 70+ sunscreen I wore made me feel like a pig, basted and roasting in its own juices. (Fortunately, the sunscreen worked, and I have only a rosy glow to show.) But in the end, the work wasn't that difficult and went faster than I had anticipated.

We used a solvent based solid concrete stain made by Sherwin Williams. This product is recommended for drives and was necessary since cars park over part of the area. I chose four colors that look good with the natural stone on the front of the house: Oak Creek, Bittersweet Stem, Cedarwood Brown, and Sandstone. I rubbed, brushed, pounded, and dragged the colors onto the concrete, blending them for a natural stone appearance. Lou came behind me, staining the grout lines with Autumn Brown. 

I have finally finished with the stonework, and here is the result:This is a section of the walkway that runs in front of the house.

Here is a close-up of the stamped concrete.

The grasshopper in the first photo seems to be checking out my faux painting. Maybe he is wondering where all the patina has gone! We still have a few details to finish; then soon we will move the patio furniture back in place. I am looking forward to some relaxation, and I promise no more big projects till cooler weather returns!

6/24/12 addendum: Well, I am no entomologist! Thanks to Toni of Signature Gardens who has pointed out that my 'grasshopper' is in fact a katydid! I have heard these things by the thousands. One would think I would regognize one when I saw it!

The Mad Hungarian Winery

This guy may own the place:Jules J. Berta

But this is who runs the show:Puppy with an attitude

The place is the Jules J. Berta Vineyards, located atop Sand Mountain in Albertville, Alabama. Recently I was treated to a wine tasting and tour of the Mad Hungarian Winery with a group of Alabama master gardeners. (I'm not a master gardener, but they let me tag along.) When one thinks of vineyards, Alabama may not immediately pop to mind, but there are a number of vineyards in my state, with most of them producing dessert wines. Muscadine grapes are common, and muscadine wine is a southern specialty. Jules J. Berta is man with family roots in the vineyards of Hungary, and he determined to broaden the spectrum. Folks said it couldn't be done, that his fancy grapes would be eaten up by the molds and viruses that thrive in our hot, humid climate. 

Mr. Berta proved the skeptics wrong, and his European style vineyards are thriving. His winery produces traditional red and white wines, as well as fruit wines and the classic muscadine wine. His Sylvaner received a wine rating of 89, which means it is very good with special qualities. I tasted it. I don't drink a lot of wine, so I'm no expert; but I thought it was very fine, indeed. It is the highest rated Alabama wine.My oldest son is getting this bottle of wine for his birthday.

The cute doggie, by the way, is about six inches tall, but he has a huge personality. He officially greeted the guests gathered under a large pergola for the wine tasting. Watch out for this Hungarian puppy, however, because if he likes you, he will lick your toes!