8 Creative Ways to Transform Your Concrete Patio on a budget

8 Creative Ways to Transform Your Concrete Patio on a Budget

Concrete patios are outdoor spaces that are perfect for enjoying the great outdoors. However, a concrete patio can come off as uninteresting if it lacks color or decor. Concrete can also accumulate dirt and debris like leaves, dirt and mud, puddles of water, and bird droppings.

Patio floors don’t need to look filthy or drab, but removing a stain or adding decor may be challenging. Before reaching for expensive solutions, consider using patio coatings as a cost-friendly way to transform your concrete patio.

Here, we look at eight creative ways to spruce up your concrete patio without breaking the bank, including durable patio coatings.

8 Creative Ways to Transform Your Concrete Patio

Paint a Design on It

You can paint a design onto concrete with a special paint that adheres to the concrete. This method adds personal style to your patio, making it look like more than an empty concrete slab.

You can paint anything from an abstract design to a geometric print, or even just a solid color. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Pinterest or Instagram for ideas!

Add Plants or Flowers

If you’re really on a budget, use plants and flowers to transform your concrete patio into an outdoor oasis. You can even create a garden by planting herbs in planter boxes. You can also use plants with colorful pots to make the space more interesting.

If you’re going this route, choose plants that are hardy enough to survive in your climate.

Add Decorative Stones

Consider placing budget-friendly decorative stones around your flower beds or plant pots bordering your patio area. Stones of all shapes, sizes, and colors will draw attention away from plain concrete flooring.

Install a Fire Pit

A fire pit can act as your patio’s focal point, inviting your guests to gather outside and kick back. You can choose from various materials and models to give your patio a centerpiece.

Use Colored Pavers Instead of Regular Cement Tiles

Colored pavers are decorative patio coatings that look like stamped concrete. These pavers come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. You can place them as borders around plants or decorative accents around your patio area.

You can also lay pavers out in a distinctive pattern, just like tiles. However, they are significantly less expensive than cement or stone tiles. They’ll provide the attractive, polished appearance you want while going easy on your wallet.

Coat Your Patio with Colored Concrete

If you have an old deck that needs resurfacing, a colored concrete coating will cover up any imperfections. This material will not only protect the surface from moisture, but it will also last longer than traditional paving stones. The color options of colored concrete are endless, so experiment with different shades to find something that fits your style.

Add a Rug and Some Seating

To add a pop of color and texture to your concrete patio, add an outdoor rug. The right rug can be used as an accent piece or a seating area. You could also lay a few cushions atop the rug or add furniture like benches, chairs, or tables.

Get Epoxy Coatings for a More Durable and Attractive Patio

You can transform your concrete patio and expand its lifespan with an epoxy coating. Epoxy, especially when combined with a polyurea base/polyaspartic top coating, makes your concrete look like the slate or tile you’re aiming for. It only requires some prep work and a professional installer.

First, a coating specialist must clean and prep the concrete to accept the coating. Then, they will apply the coating itself, which will come in a wide variety of colors and designs. Depending on the patio’s size, the coating will typically cure after one day.

A coating will last for years if properly maintained, helping you save substantially on patio repairs.

Contact the Experts for Patio Coatings in San Antonio, TX

If you’re looking for patio coatings in San Antonio, TX, look no further than EMC Concrete Coatings, Inc. With over ten years of experience, we’re the area’s leading provider of concrete coatings. We offer epoxy and polyurea/polyaspartic coatings with 24-month warranties.

Whether you need a concrete coating for your garage floor, driveway, or patio, we can apply it. Our team provides top-of-the-line epoxy and polyurea/polyaspartic coatings. You’ll have peace of mind that your investment will last for years while maintaining its fresh appearance.

We provide free, no-obligation estimates on all our projects, including patio coatings. Call (210) 430-4181 to learn more and schedule your appointment.

What are the benefits of coating my garage or patio floor?

There are a multitude of benefits to coating your concrete surface. Our prep phase will eliminate high spots or surface deficiencies through diamond grinding or shotblasting. In addition, our trained technicians will fill in any cracks, holes, or spalls on your concrete surface prior to any coating being placed. This ensures a smooth and uniform appearance throughout your slab. Concrete is very porous and can make stain removal difficult. With a high-performance coating installed, you will be able to remove otherwise tough stains with a spray of your water hose. And lastly, our floors look amazing! The garage is often overlooked when it comes to renovation/upgrades, but a professionally installed resinous coating will add $$$ to the value of your home.

How long does a typical installation take?
In most cases, our highly trained technicians can wrap up your residential project in as little as 2 days. We do offer a state of the art 1 day system, where you can walk on your new floor the next day, but we do not recommend these rapid cure systems during the summer months. Commercial projects and larger residential projects (1K sq. feet or more) can certainly take more time to complete. As always, our sales team will visit your site to take accurate measurements and offer a realistic timeframe.
Do you offer free on-site quotes?
Yes, we do. EMC Concrete Coatings always prefers to visit you at your project site to take
measurements and go over your coatings/color options. Our quotes are valid for 90 days and there is never any pressure. We are not here to make you feel uncomfortable or pressured. Our process is smooth and easy for everyone involved.
Can you give me a “ball-park” price over the phone?
Yes. However, this is not the way we prefer to quote jobs. Each project is unique and a
“standard 2 car garage” is going to be different for every homebuilder in town. Square footage’s, linear walls, garage aprons, and condition of the slab all play a very important role in providing you with an accurate quote. This simply cannot be done in a matter of seconds via a phone call or messenger.
How much does it cost to install a decorative coating on my garage floor?
A typical 2 car garage coatings installation in the greater San Antonio area will cost between $2’400 and $3’000. Our pricing is based on square footages and other aspects of the project, including the linear footage of any stem walls, aprons, or repair work.

Oversized or multi-car garages, patios, or other areas will result in higher priced estimates.

Do you use epoxy or polyurea for garage coatings?
We use all the above. Resinous coatings do not come in a one size fits all application. The
details and specs of each project will help our trained technicians determine what coating is best for your project. Typically, we use polyurea coatings for our garages and patio installations. However, shop floors and other commercia/residential spaces will call for epoxies, urethanes, or water-based materials. Rest assured, no matter which products we use, they are from reputable coatings manufacturers and TDS sheets are always available to our customers upon
request.
Is this service affordable?
We are not the lowest priced team in town. We are also, certainly not the most expensive outfit on the block. Our pricing is determined by the costs of materials, inflation, demand, labor, and level of service. When choosing EMC Concrete Coatings, you have done yourself a great favor by hiring the best in the business. EMC does run specials throughout the calendar year for discounted floors and we always honor first responders, military, and front-line workers discounts.

Our team is always mindful of our customer’s budget. We are a locally owned and operated
small business, and we know the value of our hard-earned dollars and how much they mean to each one of us. We strive to provide our customers with the best possible pricing throughout the year. EMC honors our warranties, we show up on time, every time, and will go above and beyond to ensure you are 100% satisfied at the end of each project. If we miss the mark, we will rectify it. Simple as that.

Does my new floor come with a warranty?
Yes! We offer an excellent written warranty with all our floor coatings installations. Depending on which option you choose (stain, seal, epoxy/flake, solid color, or polish) the length of time will vary from 5 years to a limited lifetime homeowners’ warranty. We HONOR our warranties.
Who am I hiring if I choose EMC Concrete Coatings?
The best crew in town. From our brand-new trucks, wrapped-trailers, uniformed employees, and state of the art equipment – we are the best. Our technicians are certified and experienced installers. EMC is bonded, commercially insured, and experienced. Multiple professional references are available for commercial projects at any given time and our online reviews speak for themselves when it comes to our residential portfolio. You have made the right choice by calling the team at EMC Concrete Coatings. Most importantly, the owner of the company, Eric Calderon is personally involved in every project that comes through our door. Generally, Eric and his sales team will be the person you meet with at your project walk thru. You will then see Eric and his crew upon the day of installation. We never sub out our projects, our employees are in-house guys and Eric is there each step of the way to ensure maximum customer satisfaction!
(210) 430-4181