The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

Let’s Learn About the Right vs. Wrong Way to Resurface
Existing Concrete Patio Surfaces

I received this email from Trisha asking me:

I have encountered a problem on my patio. After much research your website was the only one that made it clear there was a difference between concrete and cement.

We have a slab in our back yard (like a river rock slab), we wanted to skim it over with a smooth layer. We did so with what the hardware store told us to do it with, which was Portland cement. But it came out with lots of cracks and you can scratch your fingernail in it. Continue reading

Helpful Tips To Ensure More Successful Repairs

I received an email the other day from garden art friend Louisa G. who was kind enough to share some very helpful ideas pertaining to repairing broken garden art items (or anything else you might have around the house that needs to be stuck back together, for that matter).

Whether you are using a “super” type glue, epoxy glue, or even concrete or hypertufa to try and reattach a piece or pieces that got broken off a favorite decorative item, these tips just might help make your repair come out even better than you’d hoped for.

I think you’ll agree that often the challenge in doing a repair is trying to hold together the part(s) that need to be glued back on. Many times we cannot use fast-acting glues, and wait times for other type glues or adhesive’s (or ‘tufa or concrete’s) hardening/cure times may be 15 minutes on up to hours.

This is often the biggest challenge … how to keep the pieces stuck together AND how to achieve the most “invisible” repair possible.

I will agree it is frustrating to make a repair, only to find out the piece shifted ever so slightly, and though yes … you’ve been successful at sticking the item back together, it is now obvious that indeed there was damage that had occurred to it!

So … here’s Louisa’s great tips:

Here’s some easy ways I’ve found to keep odd-shaped pieces together while waiting for repairs to cure:

Obtain some NON DRYING modeling clay (something like Sculpey or other art clays that won’t dry out in a short time) and mold release to go with it. Sometimes (not always) mineral oil can be used. You would want to test this prior to going forward.

BEFORE GLUING: Put the repairs in position (you may need a helper to hold the pieces in place) and mold the clay – be generous – around your area of repair such that you can remove it easily. This may require more than one or two sections that will later be smooshed together.

Remove the clay and clean off any residue, then glue the repair as needed.

LIGHTLY apply the mold release agent and then place the prepared modeling clay around the repair – blend and smoosh separate sections of the modeling clay together GENTLY so that you don’t dislodge the repaired pieces. Wait for it to cure.

Other options:

–Spring clamps or C-clamps with toweling or other padding
–Rubber bands
–Bungee cords
–Binder clips (for smaller items)

There you have it!

Thanks Louisa for taking the time to share these tips with everyone!

To read my informative article about different methods to glue or wire broken pots back together, please go to Terra Cotta Repair Methods.

Hypertufa Can Be Used To Repair Concrete
But There Are A Few Things To Keep In Mind

I received this email:

My 14-year old pond is showing signs of wear … the initial waterfall & trough were made of dyed concrete supplemented with mountain rocks. The concrete has some cracks and the mortar between the rocks is pulling away.

Can hypertufa be used to make repairs and rework my filter’s waterfall coming out of a larger filter so that it would appear similar to the original rock/mortar work? I’d like to purchase your Hypertufa How-To eBook, but I’d like to know if hypertufa is the correct medium to use or should I return to a portland/sand mix?

Also I’d like to supplement the large rocks with more faux rock. Thanks for your help.

My reply:
Hi:
These are some good questions and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction.

About hypertufa, the first thing I want to say is the whole purpose of using a hypertufa recipe is to replicate real Tufa rock. Peat moss is an all important ingredient in hypertufa recipes because over time, the peat moss decomposes and leaves pits and crevices like you find in real Tufa rock.

So … the use of hypertufa to make rocks will end up looking a bit different from the dyed concrete rocks and mountain rocks you currently have. I’m not saying this is a “bad thing” … just depends how similar you wish to match the job.

The other issue that comes to mind is the fact you said dyed concrete – can you replicate the color in whatever recipe you concoct to make new rocks and/or do the patch work?

But all this being said, sure you can certainly use hypertufa to spruce up everything. ‘Tufa can be colored with different colorants, and you can use white Portland cement if need be to better achieve a specific color. (However be aware it might be hard to find in your area.)

Here’s great info on concrete and hypertufa colorants sitting on my website: concrete and hypertufa colorant guides. Scroll down about half-way on the page to find the link to the PDF colorant guides.

I also have a hypertufa mortar recipe that goes beyond a plain portland & sand mix that you might find useful. Here’s the link: hypertufa mortar recipe.

Here’s a faux rock recipe that is great for projects like yours where constant contact with moisture is an issue: faux rock recipe.

And make sure to use a bonding agent on the “old” surfaces before you apply the new mixture, whether it be hypertufa or a concrete mixture.

That’s about it in a nutshell. This project more than likely will be a bit more complicated than just a simple “slap & patch” job.  

Oh … I do have more information in my Hypertufa How-To Manual about making forms for larger rocks and boulders.

Good luck with your project!

Concrete Statue Repair
How To Reattach A Broken Concrete Statue Head

I received an email asking for help:

I accidentely knocked the head off of a statue. Is there anything I can use to reattach it? It was my late Mother’s and I really need to fix it. Thank you for your answer. Irene

My reply:
Hi Irene:
Thank you for contacting me and I hope I can be of help. But first, you didn’t tell me what material the statue is made from. Because you found my web site and I deal with garden art, I will assume you are referring to a concrete statue.

Yes … you can fix it with an epoxy glue that is meant for concrete.  There should be a brand available at (hopefully) Lowe’s or Home Depot, as examples. Go to the paint department area and that’s where all the epoxy glues can be found. (Important for you to know, is that there really is no way to use a concrete mix to stick the head back on. Don’t even try it.)

Epoxy glue comes in 2 tubes that you mix together before you apply it to the concrete. Not a big deal to do, just a bit messy. Just FOLLOW the instructions –read them over first before you even open up one of the tubes.

Make SURE the concrete statue is bone dry!! Even a little bit of dampness in the concrete will very likely cause failure to your repair attempts.

The epoxy might be slightly visible when dry, but how “invisible” the repair will be is of course also dependent upon how neatly and carefully you can apply the glue.

I wish you the best of luck with this concrete statue repair.