I have an entrance porch of approx 150 sq ft of mature (17 years) concrete. It's in generally sound condition with a few small cracks and chips but it's been stained by some planters that were placed there at one time.
Initially, I considered tiling the thing. However, that now looks less than practical due to a combination of drainage issues and expansion joints running at 45 degrees.
So then I started looking at various coatings. Google turned up a bunch of products some of which look a lot like overpriced snake oil. Sherwin Williams have the H&C Silicone Acrylic Concrete Sealer which looks like it would work but apparently it's not available in the People's Republic of Kalifornia. I feel it will probably take something of better quality than that sold in the big box stores.
I'd like to create something like a natural stone effect with a little texture/pattern (versus solid color) to hide the imperfections. The porch is sheltered from the wind and rain but exposed to direct sunlight and UV. Traffic is very light but I want something durable and don't need a maintenance liability.
I think it wants a relatively thick (high solids) coating to fill/hide the cracks and imperfections and maybe a clearcoat on top for additional protection -- I don't want the "wet look". I considered acid staining but at
17 years I fear the surface is too shabby for that to work out well. Ditto for semi-transparent stains.I don't own any spray gear and prefer something that can be rolled on. I might even use a ragging roller and add a thin coat of a different color to create something of a granite-like texture.
Anyone have any experience of *exterior* concrete coatings? Many of the garage floor paints are not UV resistent!