Skip The Pricey Remodel: There's A Smarter Way To Cover An Old Concrete Porch
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Does your old concrete porch look sad and uninspiring? Because concrete is porous, long-term exposure to the elements can turn a crisp pad into a cracked mess. While you may be able to spruce things up with a pressure washer, sometimes covering a cracked concrete porch is the only solution. Instead of paying a contractor thousands to do the job, one clever TikToker figured out a smarter way to cover an old concrete porch that's easy to DIY for just over $800. To complete it, @fix_it_with_mo applied a thick layer of mortar mix to their existing concrete porch, topped it with inexpensive hand-cut pavers, and allowed it to cure before filling in the crevices with polymeric sand.
The best part of this DIY project is walking away with a stylish new porch, but the affordability factor is a close second. According to Angi, having a new paver patio professionally installed ranges from $2,400 to $7,000. While material costs will vary depending on the size of your old concrete porch, standard stone-look pavers from home improvement stores cost between $2 and $4 each. Bags of polymeric sand, which is designed to lock pavers into place, start around $30 for 35 pounds (enough to cover a 50-square-foot area.)
Since front porches can see heavy foot traffic, the best material to put under pavers is a mortar mix. Although you can find cheap bags of paver base for around $6, the presence of bigger rocks can make leveling more challenging. Instead, keep this DIY budget-friendly by splurging just a little on a highly-rated product like RapidSet Mortar Mix, which you can find at Home Depot starting at $15 per bag.
How to update an old concrete porch with pavers
It's surprisingly easy to turn a dated front porch into a welcoming entryway by covering it with cheap pavers. You can use the same process whether you want to use cobblestone-style pavers, contemporary square ones, or brick. But no matter which material you choose, some prep work is necessary.
Start by cleaning your old concrete porch to remove debris and buildup. You can make your own concrete cleaning solution or use a pressure washer for this step. Once the porch has thoroughly dried, mix and apply your mortar. To ensure water doesn't pool around your foundation, use guidelines to make sure the mortar is level and slopes away gently from the house. Working in small sections, press each paver into the mortar mixture using a rubber mallet if necessary. For a more handcrafted look, chisel the edges slightly. To do that, use a straight edge to mark your line with a pencil before using the mallet to tap against a cold chisel held directly above the cutline. This is also a great way to cut pavers to size for awkward spots without the expense of purchasing or renting a concrete saw.
@fix_it_with_mo Contractor quoted me almost $10000 for this front porch project... so I decided to build it myself for under $810 💪🏽 Took me 2 weekends, a lot of leveling, hand-cut pavers, and patience 😅 Materials: • Pavers: $600 • Base (sand/cement): $150 • Polymeric sand: $60 Biggest things I learned: • leveling is EVERYTHING • slope water away from the house • hand-cut edges look way more natural • polymeric sand completely changes the final look Next step: landscaping + new trees around the porch 🌲 Would you DIY this or hire a contractor? #DIY #HomeImprovement #Pavers #PorchMakeover #DIYProjects
Continue this process until your entire concrete porch and any steps are completely covered in pavers. Once your mortar mix has cured according to the manufacturer's recommendations, the final step is adding polymeric sand. This method is way easier and faster than adding grout. You'll simply empty a bag on top of the pavers before sweeping it carefully into each crack and crevice. Finally, spray the entire porch with water so the sand hardens into place.