Suggest ways to brighten dreary patio slabs

FlorayG

These slabs are old and pressure washing made little difference.

I don't want to spend the money on reslabbing because it would all have to be taken up it's so badly done and uneven, it doesn't drain properly plus there's a concrete apron 1m50 wide on the house side.

Please don't suggest pots of plants or anything like that - I want to make the actual floor less dreary

I don't have a lot of money spare for this, either, but I've been here 4 years now and every summer I hate it more.

Its 4m30 x 5m30 ( including the concrete apron)

approximate cost would also help

sammyjammy

Patio paint, I did mine in yellow and white once, it look good, it doesn't last forever but its definitely a cheap pick me up for them.

https://www.diy.com/painting-decorating/paint.cat?Location=Exterior&Navigation+type=Floor&&&&&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23754409885&gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHnlzfBtpOWrK-b6IlsxcPzyG&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnIDUBhDrARIsAJDGwSv9-Q619dKudompGJ41Uizl-vU38aLwoJkLj9HXzJ2n4svKHcJRZDMaAkbTEALw_wcB

mlz1413

Can you get some large chess pieces and make the area fun? Use chalk or paint to make a chequer board pattern and then the chess pieces will give it some interest.

Or get a large rug for the summer and put your patio furniture on it so it hides the bulk of it. If it's uneven then spend some time wedging cardboard under the patio table legs to make it sturdy.

If you have children or grandchildren let them loose with chalk and ask for snakes and ladders or sunflowers depending on their ages and drawing skills.

maman

No help to you but I'd love to have your weathered slabs. We've recently had building work done and our old paving was replaced by spanking new slabs. I think they're garish and totally out of keeping with our old house. ☹️

FlorayG

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82104255#Comment_82104255

They are pink and grey. Pretty horrible and not even in any sort of pattern, just laid randomly and very badly

I think if they had been laid properly TBH I could cope with them, but the patio is noticeably higher in some places

stuart45

Have a look at some of the stains available, either water based or acid based.

WIAWSNB

Stain or paint seems the obvious solution, but also check out stencils to overdub a pattern on them. This should not only brighten up the slabs and even them out, but should help bring the concrete areas in to near-match them too.

Try a Google - some really effective designs out there.

Edit: nicer than I imagined, if subtler colours used. Can be checkerboarded with plain as well.

twopenny

Which patio cleaners have you used?

For £10 to £20 you can get them clean in less than half an hour with just a watering can. I use Wet & Forget which lasts for 18mts or more.

I'm not a fan of pink and grey slabs, an old fashion statement. A lesson to us all. You could clean and stain the ones you don't like.

dont_use_vistaprint

I just lifted all mine up and sold them, poured a few bags of white stones in , made a few features , painted , planted stuff didn't cost much at all maybe 500 and got 200 for the blocks. I absolutely love it and people walking past are always caught on how much they like my front.

I used a few to create squares around places where I planted lavender a cherry tree some other things I left the old line in here and there to break up the White stones. This was when it was first planted out it looks very different now everything has grown!

if it's all uneven, it has to come up doesn't it, it's probably pushing Water onto your wall as well, I think they look ugly once they age a little bit, so old-fashioned and boring to look at as well. No doubt my Stones will after a couple of years, but it's pretty easy to replace them for clean ones, cheaper than getting a patio cleaned

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82107284#Comment_82107284

Nice job 😊

Do the old slabs even need to be lifted? Gravel/stones could presumably be poured on top, if a raised ridge is added to contain them. It would also mean not having to break up and lift the concreted area.

HillStreetBlues

Are you sure that the pressure washer was strong enough?
In my old property I used it at full blast to clean up a very sad looking patio.