The side path of the house was one of those projects we wanted to do for a long time. It was a very narrow area, overgrown with weeds, and it seemed the builder had placed the pavers as an afterthought.
We decided to concrete the area as it was the best low maintenance option. We got some quotes from the concreters who did the excavation and poured in the cement. Drainage was also important, and we already had four pre-existing storm water drains. It was a vast improvement, and access down the side of the house is now very easy.
It was suggested to us to seal the concrete surface with a hard coat polymer. We didn't know this, but you can tint the sealer to a specific colour. We decided to use the Colourtone tint (charcoal) and sealer system. There are over 20 colours if you don't like charcoal.
Before we did the sealing, the concrete was left to cure for four weeks. It was then power washed with a Gerni and dried for 24-48 hrs. For the application, I used a paving 11mm Nap roller, attached to a painting pole. For the side areas, I used a smaller 100 mm roller. I started in the afternoon and was done in about 45 minutes. The sealer dries in about 30 minutes. Do all the sides first using the smaller roller then move to the main areas. The second coat was applied 24 hrs later.
I didn't tape the edges/walls but just took my time doing the sides to reduce any carryover to the walls. Just as a note, wear some old shoes as the sealer will get all over them. Also, I would strongly recommend wearing safety glasses and a mask.
If you have any left over sealer, store it away for any touch ups. If stored at the right conditions, I was told by the company it had a shelf life of 2 years.
