The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

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!

How Do I Sculpt And Carve Into Wet Hypertufa?

A reader asked:

On your The-Artistic-Garden website under ‘Painting Techniques’ there is a close-up photo showing verdigris colouration. There is a design on the planter. How did you accomplish this?

And, is there any other way to decorate a hypertufa pot except by painting it? Can you draw on it before it cures or somehow sculpture a design on it?

I answered:

Oh yes you can decorate the outside of a ‘tufa pot. The easiest way is to carve or sculpt into it. Just make sure you make the sides of your item thick enough to carve into if you want to produce a really deep textured or carved design.

Or, after it is partially cured, you can add other raised details or embellishments made from a freshly mixed up batch of ‘tufa onto the item. Just make sure to wet down the main item; “paint” on a liberal coat of bonding agent onto the area(s) where you’ll be applying the new ‘tufa pieces; and make sure you’ve added bonding agent into the new batch of hypertufa.

Here’s a page I wrote about sculpting in hypertufa that will give you some more ideas, and a recipe (though you can sculpt in any ‘tufa recipe – just depends on what you’re making, it’s size and such that will determine what recipe might be best for your purposes): Hypertufa Sculptures.

In reference to the raised design on the planter (here’s the photo referred to) – it was already part of the pot.

That planter is one of those polyresin pots – very light-weight but water tight. I love these type of pots as not only can you paint them if you wish, but they are very lightweight because the polyresin is a very lightweight material. This sure makes these pots a little easier to move around once they’re filled with dirt and plants … especially if you are into LARGE pots like I am.

Polyresin pots are great for those of us living in climates that have freezing temperatures, as they can be left outdoors in all seasons without the worry of cracking like almost all real terra cotta pots do (except the very pricey Italian terra cotta).

A Reader Asks About Curing Her Hypertufa Project
During Cold Winter Months

“Beaverlake” asked me:

Your DIY garden art projects website is great!! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us newbies. I made my first hypertufa trough a few weeks ago at a workshop my garden club held. Now my head is spinning with ideas, but now it is so cold outside in the state where I live.

Can I make a hypertufa project in the basement and let it cure there during the winter?

My reply:

Hi Beaverlake:
Thanks for the kind words. I do try to offer easy to follow and thorough info on my website.

To answer your questions:

1) Yes, you can make ‘tufa or concrete items in your basement but first, a little warning – please make sure when you are measuring out the Portland cement that you don’t get the dust all over the place. Cement dust is NOT a nice thing to get tracked all over the place. (Wear your dust mask and gloves too!!)

Next, you MUST have the basement/room temperature above 50 degrees minimum at all times in order that your item cures properly. Below 50 – don’t bother trying a project – it won’t cure. It will take longer to cure, too. So you’ve gotta be patient! 

With a room temperature that’s between 50 – 70 degrees .. the item still will take a little longer to cure. But lots of crafters do ‘tufa projects in their basements, so I’d say go ahead if you don’t want to wait until Springtime.

Good luck!

Beaverlake wrote back:

Thanks for the information. I will start with small hollow spheres next weekend. It’s going to be a long winter. We are having our first snow storm as I type.

Thanks for the information.

Aging A Hypertufa Trough With Moss

Note: the information about growing moss also pertains to almost any porous material – such as clay or terra cotta pots.

I received this email from Stephen who asked:

Dear Artistic Gardner: This is from Sheffield England. Please could you advise me on the “wooden former”, concrete mix, possible wall thickness and dimensions and possible type of chicken wire as strengthener to make a concrete “aged type trough” or what was had in England where old stone sinks werer used for outdoor water and plant features. Yours sincerely, Stephen

My reply:

Hello Stephen:
Thank you for contacting me. The information to help you can be found on the 4 Basic Hypertufa Recipes page and the instructions for How To Make A Hypertufa Trough.

I have many more pages of information on hypertufa (and concrete, too if that might interest you) that will be helpful to you about the ins-and-outs of working with hypertufa. Please go to my main hypertufa page: www.the-artistic-garden.com/hypertufa.html. Then go all the way to the bottom of the page – you’ll see links to all the other pages of ‘tufa information.

About how to age a hypertufa garden art item – I will assume you want moss to begin growing. You can find my suggested recipes and how-to tips on this age hypertufa troughs with moss web page.

Growing the moss isn’t hard … it’s the patience and time it takes that is!

I hope this helps. Good luck with your project.