Yard garden - concrete floor is a mess

Hi all.

I have a bit of a challenge.

The background is, my mother only has a back yard. She wants to turn it into a nice garden. We've agreed that I'll do the bulk of the work, but she is understandably reluctant to go ahead until we have a viable plan.

The main challenge is the floor. The property is very old. The concrete floor is uneven and cracked and potholed.

Being uneven, I don't think I can simply cover it. The back door step is too low to raise the floor by more than about an inch.

People have suggested fake grass, but I think without any kind of underlay it will just be nasty. I thought about laying sheets of that cheap builders board who's name I can't remember (like stuck together wood shavings), then fake grass over the top.

I also thought about patching up the cracks and holes in the concrete, but I have a feeling the new concrete would just lift as soon as the next icy spell gets it.

Any ideas please? I'll get a photo when I next go round.

 

Is it possible to saw out and remove some of the "concrete floor" to allow something being planted directly into to soil? Or is it a case that your mum doesn't want it? I personally hate fake grass as an option at all .

 

I think you need to resolve the concrete issue for safety sake. How about big pots and troughs filled with all kinds of goodies?

 

Are we just looking for a grass like area or borders, or containers.

I think you are right, fake grass would not go down well with out the concrete being dug up and the drainage improved, likewise laying on timber board, its not a good idea.

If its not too much of a bind, the concrete needs to go, otherwise you could try to cover the really nastier looking parts with containers.

 

The plan is to have lots of nice containers and trellis. It's just the floor that's letting us down.

I thought about breaking up the concrete but the building is so old, although it's structurally sound, I'd be worried about all the shock waves from the sledge hammer blows rattling the walls and dislodging something.

As for cutting the concrete out, this might be an option, but I don't know how deep it is or what's under it.

 

Best of luck with it @Clueless 1 v2. I would also suggest pots and troughs.

 

Have you got a decent hammer drill, you could drill a few holes to find out how thick it is.
It may well be only a couple of inches, which would be why its cracked.

My old method of breaking up thick or thin concrete involves a good heavy crow bar and a sledge hammer, once you get the bar under and leaver it up slightly a couple of whacks usually reduces it into manageable sizes.
I doubt it would rattle the house.

 

10mm shingle, possibly with beach pebbles for effect in areas Mum is unlikely to walk . Perhaps bark chippings for a more 'natural' look. Tubs, troughs, even a water feature depending on area and budget.

 

Yes we really need to see a pic of the area and of the doorstep and surrounding concrete and also of any air vents or damp proof course if fitted.

One possible solution if the remaining concrete is basically flat and stable would be to lay some thin flagstones on a bed of sand.

Not sure about shingle or chippings or even decking for older folk they can feel rather unstable and slippy at times.

For taking the old concrete up you start banging at the farthest point away from the house, once opened up you should be able lift up the concrete with a pick so you are unlikely to cause any damage to the house.

What you find underneath is anyones guess, hopefully just a thin layer on top of rubble.
Digging down into one or two of the potholes should give you an idea of how thick it is and whats underneath,

 

Thanks for the topic, @Clueless 1 v2 , looking forward to learning from the experts as unsightly concrete is unfortunately a common problem.

This sounds sensible and flagstones look so good! I wonder how stable the stones on a thin sand bed would be if in the future anyone wants walking aid proof access? Future proofing is sensible.

Would it work to fill in the holes and cracks and smooth a layer of fresh concrete all over?

Visually, even if the top layer is concrete, a large outdoor rug would pull the eye off it, and lush planting in raised beds or large containers further hides the unaestethic floor.

Outdoor rugs have come a long way from what they were both in quality and visually. Of course whatever lies beneath must be smooth and pothole free first unless a bear trap is in the plans

Anyways, a rug in my opinion would look better than artificial grass. Google images:

 

I'd avoid anything that an elderly person might be liable to trip over or slip on, which limits the options a bit. If you can get the old concrete up, what about a layer of exposed aggregate concrete (brushed concrete) instead. It can look very attractive, would be hard-wearing and safe. If water or electricity might be required, it also gives you the chance to lay pipes and/or cables before it's poured, as well as posts or fixings for the trellis. Then go for the biggest practical containers to cut down on watering.

 

Thanks all for some excellent input.

I can't put flag stones down unfortunately because the ground is very uneven. It was probably flat at one point in history, but the property is about 200 years old. It actually used to be a farm house, before a whole town built up around it, eventually making it part of a whole street of terraced houses.

I'll see if I can go round to get some pics over the weekend. She's only across town, but unfortunately several of us in my household have come down with the lurgy, so we might have to stay away for a while. I don't want to pass the lurgy on to my mum.

I did some googling. I found there's an epoxy based cement for repairing concrete. Apparently it gets round my concern that any patchwork will just lift next time we get sub zero temps. It's only 35 quid for a bucket of it, but it sounds quite hard to work. Folks in the reviews say it's great, but that it sticks to the trowel making it tricky to apply. I might give it a go anyway.

 

There are several cracks but they haven't really opened up or moved, so I reckon I can just brush sharp sand into them to improve the appearance a bit. The bigger issue is a couple of potholes, the largest of which is about a foot in diameter, but only a centimetre or so deep. They're not really trip hazards, just ugly.

You're right about cleaning before applying any kind of filler. I don't know about chemical cleaners though. I simply hadn't thought of chemical options. My thoughts were to stick a wire brush on my drill and use that to blast the muck away, before finishing by hand with a regular scrubbing brush.