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How to resurface a paved brick porch?

The porch of my house currently has paved brick surface. There are 3-4 steps followed by a bigger porch platform. Some of the bricks have become loose and wobbly. This is risky as someone can get misbalanced and have a fall. I am considering covering the area with epoxy or concrete resurfacing but not sure what would be the most suitable and long lasting material for this.

I would appreciate advice from the expert on the best product to use. In the past I have tried fixing the loose bricks with brick cement but that didn't help.

Regards,

Husain

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Comments

MitchellMc

Hi @husainZahid,

I think there are really two separate issues going on here, and it is important to tackle them in the right order.

The first priority is the safety issue with the loose and wobbly bricks. Any type of coating, whether epoxy or a resurfacing product, will only sit on top of what is already there. It will not fix movement underneath, and in fact it is likely to crack or fail quite quickly if the bricks are still unstable. Before you think about covering or coating anything, the steps and porch need to be made solid again.

To do that, the loose bricks will need to be lifted and checked to see what they were originally bedded into. In some cases, they are set into mortar, in others, it can be more of a sand and cement base. If mortar has failed or is too thin, simply patching with brick cement often is not enough, which sounds like what you have already experienced. Depending on the situation, you may be able to re-bed the bricks properly, or in some cases, a strong landscape construction adhesive can be used to glue the bricks back down securely. The key thing is that once finished, there should be absolutely no movement at all.

Once the brickwork itself is repaired and stable, you can then look at the appearance. I'm not aware of any epoxy or resurfacing products that are suitable for going directly over a brick-paved surface. You could paint the bricks using a concrete and paving paint, which will change the look and can make the area easier to clean, but it is purely a surface treatment. It will not add strength or stability, and it relies entirely on the bricks underneath being sound.

If the idea behind coating was to try and solve the wobbling, the movement has to be fixed first at the brick level. After that, repairing and keeping the existing brick finish, or painting it for a cosmetic update, are both realistic options.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

husainZahid

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/61847#Comment_61847

Thank you for your prompt response @MitchellMc. The landscape construction adhesive you mentioned does not look like an economical solution, specially considering the size of the area. Are you suggesting only applying the adhesive to bricks that have loosened up or taking all of the bricks off and re-gluing them all using the construction adhesive?

My intent is 2 fold - stability/safety as well as improving the aesthetic appeal. I do not like the brick look and the lines between the bricks. I would prefer to have a even surface without the look of individual bricks.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93406#Comment_93406

Yes, the idea would be that you glue down the loose bricks @husainZahid. If more than a handful of bricks are loose, you would likely need to investigate why. This could involve pulling them up and investigating what's going on underneath. Perhaps the stairs need to be rebuilt.

The problem is that surface coatings do not fix underlying structural issues. They need to be applied over a sound surface. Further to that, you would need to speak with a specialised coatings company to determine whether there is something that could be applied over them, which could cover the brick joints. Other than paint, which won't disguise the bricks beneath, there's really no other coating I am aware of. Epoxies must be applied over a solid concrete surface. If you were to apply them over bricks, they would crack.

Mitchell

husainZahid

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/112963#Comment_112963

@MitchellMc Once I glue down the loose bricks, do you reckon it would be a good idea to install porcelain tiles on top of the brick work? I am taking inspiration from the below post.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Featured-Projects/Crazy-paving-front-porch/ta-p/237625

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124039#Comment_124039

Hi @husainZahid,

It’s a good question and I can see why that crazy paving project caught your eye, it does look great. In practice though, tiling over existing brickwork is not something I would generally recommend. Bricks are not a truly solid or stable substrate, even when glued back down they can still move slightly over time. Tiles and grout, on the other hand, are rigid systems, so when they are fixed over a surface that has even minor movement, it often leads to cracked grout lines or cracked tiles down the track.

The example you linked to works because the paving was laid onto a solid base. In your case, trying to install porcelain tiles or crazy paving directly over exposed brick would be very difficult to do successfully. The existing brick overhang on the stair treads and the exposed faces of the steps would also make tiling extremely challenging to detail neatly and safely. Even if it were attempted, it would almost certainly need to be done by a professional, and there would still be a risk of long-term issues.

Overall, I would be cautious about tiling this area and would suggest looking at options that are better suited to brick substrates, such as lifting and re-laying the bricks properly, or using a purpose-made resurfacing system designed to cope with minor movement. I know it’s not quite the answer you were hoping for, but it should help you avoid spending money on a solution that may not last.

Mitchell

husainZahid

Good morning @MitchellMc,

I finally got the porch tiled by a professional tiler and I am happy with how it turned up to be. Looks so much fresher and cleaner. Thank you for your suggestions and guidance.

MitchellMc

Looks amazing @husainZahid!

Well done and many thanks for sharing.

Mitchell

Jason

Great job @husainZahid!

Jason

JacobZ

That looks brilliant @husainZahid!

Such a quick turnaround too. I hope you love it.

Jacob

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