How to cover outdoor granite tiles?

Henrietta

Hi there, we recently purchased a house with really rough and not very aesthetically pleasing outdoor paving tiles. I’d like to cover them up somehow, was wondering if I could just cover with concrete or even render? (Ie just use hand trowel to spread concrete mix or render over the top of them). They are very grey and dreary and I’d like to lighten them up somehow, would prefer not to paint. Thank you!

Pictures below. Please let me know what you think would be a good approach. 

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Henrietta. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about coating paving.
 

Spreading a thin coat of cement or render over your existing pavers isn’t likely to be a long-term solution. When you apply a thin layer of cement across another porous surface, there’s not much for it to bond onto, so you’ll often see cracking or sections lifting away over time.

You could use a bonding agent to improve adhesion, but you’d still run into issues where the joints between the pavers are. Those joints are points of movement, and if you were to spread a continuous layer across them, you’d almost certainly see cracks forming along those lines. You’d also need to re-establish the grout lines afterward to maintain the look of pavers.

Another limitation is colour. You can tint the mix using oxides, but your options are fairly limited, and achieving an even tone can be tricky.

Painting really is the most practical way to change both the colour and texture of the surface. Modern paving paints and coatings can dramatically improve appearance and durability, and some have decorative finishes that help disguise roughness. For example, you might look at something like Dulux 10L Concrete & Paving Crushed Pebble Effect – Anchor Bay, which gives a softer, textured finish that can lighten and refresh the space without looking like standard paint.

Is there a particular reason you’d prefer not to paint? 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell