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June 5, 2007
Aesthetically-challenged guy needs help-Please vote!
I'm pouring concrete over a 400 square foot patch of dirt in my backyard to make a patio. The "dirt" is a mishmash of rock, chicken bones, bottle caps, old concrete, etc. I can't afford brick or bluestone, as I"m in the middle of a gut reno. Here's where I need help. I decided to add some dye to the concrete so it isn't that generic looking gray stuff that reminds you of East Germany before the fall of the wall. I'm going to eventually put planters on the sides of the patio.
My contractor has given me the following choices. Limeproof black, limeproof green. Terra Cotta, Deep Cement brown, Limeproof yellow. Of those, which would you take or suggest? Here's a link to see them.
http://tinyurl.com/22hw9k
Thanks for your input!
Comments
I'm also spelling-challenged! Sorry for the typo and flame away!
Posted by: phoffy at June 5, 2007 3:53 PM
Of your colors, I like limeproof green. Personally, I'd go for something more daring. Goldenrod to look like the yellow brick road! I also like bright red and Indian red.
Posted by: Anonymous at June 5, 2007 4:15 PM
deep cement brown but only based on your available choices. once it "wears" in, it will look more like real terra cotta than their version and it will look nice with some greenery around it. my 2 cetns.
Posted by: sba at June 5, 2007 4:19 PM
If I were you I'd stay away from the concrete and use pebbles instead (You ca use a mixture of small and large ones, it's better drainage and more attractive looking then concrete with the added bonus that you don't have to jackhammer it away when you don't wanted it anymore not to mention the cost of hauling it away. Goodluck.
ps it keeps your yard a lot cooler as well
Posted by: Anonymous at June 5, 2007 4:32 PM
IMO, the Terra Cotta would be a good choice...
would compliment the greenery in your planters ...
the yellow is sort of washed out and would get
messy looking after a short while.
Happy Summer!
Posted by: bren at June 5, 2007 5:48 PM
OP HERE: Brownstoner ate my link. It's at empireblended.com under Rainbow Cement. Let's try again:
The link: http://www.empireblended.com/engineered/rainbowcement.html
Posted by: phoffy at June 5, 2007 6:10 PM
Terracotta. Or do the pebble suggestion above. It's much less "harsh" feeling.
Posted by: Alex at June 5, 2007 6:32 PM
i like the idea of the terra cotta but check with your guy to see if what sba says is true about possible color shifts. sounds like a good idea in any case!
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at June 5, 2007 6:54 PM
How much are you willing to spend?
I mean; You have to bring the cement to the back yard and finish it up, maybe you could find someone to install the brick you like for the same amount or a little bit more.It sounds like a small area, how much?
Posted by: Anonymous at June 5, 2007 8:07 PM
Nobody mentioned this, but what kind of building do you have? Is it brownstone? Limestone? Brick? You want to get something that looks good with the building or should I say the back of the building. Probably terracotta.
Good luck.
Posted by: donatella at June 6, 2007 12:56 AM
I don't really like any of the colors shown there although I have seen some nice dye jobs. There's a house on 10th st between 7th and 8th aves on the south side that has concrete that looks almost like bluestone. The color is the same and the texture of the concrete is nice and smooth so it blends right in with the other bluestone sidewalks.
That said, I would also consider other alternatives to concrete over the whole thing. If you are going to put planters in later, have your mason leave some patches of dirt on the sides and plant right in the ground. You can dig out the top foot or so of ruble you have there now and replace with topsoil. This will be easier to maintain - pots need constant watering - and will provide better drainage and less runoff.
Also, if you are thinking you may want to upgrade down the line you may want to consider another alternative to concrete. You can get relatively inexpensive pavers at Home Depot/Lowes that look decent or even look on craigslist, often people are giving older ones away for free. If you level the ground and add a few inches of sand you can lay these yourself. You can plant thyme in the cracks for a nice look or just fill in with more sand. In a couple of years if you want to do bluestone or something like that you can easily pull these up. Concrete isn't so easy and you often can't lay stone over an existing concrete slab.
The guy who runs the Bushwick Blog is doing something similar, check out this post: http://bushwickbk.com/archives/35 Maybe you guys can share tips.
Good luck!
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 9:44 AM
Since you admit you're aesthetically challenged, I feel free to advise: DONT! There's plenty of better materials than ugly and energy-sapping concrete, regardless of how you try to prettify it. Consider:
1-permeable surface (pebbles, gravel, permeable pavers); will drain water so chances of runoff flooding are minimized
2-Pavers; will age well, not be boringly uniform, moss will grow. Recycled pavers are easily available, so you can feel better about sustainability.
3-Bricks; old bricks readily available, same as above.
4- Low level wood deck (won't need railings if < 18" above ground, or wood-on-ground deck.
Brooklyn must be the only place where concreting one's back yard is even considered.
Posted by: cmu at June 6, 2007 11:40 AM
www.scoffield.com
They have better colors. The ones your contractor gave you are hideous.
I totally agree with cmu, but I know you will probably not listen. homeowners are a stubborn bunch.
Posted by: cmu promoter at June 6, 2007 1:22 PM
cmu is right. Do not stop looking-- there are much cooler options out there. If it was right you wouldn't be asking others. I don't really think that you are challenged- I think that you just know intuitively that this option is a big compromise in your aesthetic.
Posted by: drunkenstooper at June 6, 2007 2:27 PM
no offense for the emphasis here, but...
do not do not do not do not turn your backyard into a parking lot.
any concrete looks like eastern bloc hell, but there's more sun here than east berlin so it will be hotter in the summer.
try the bricks, or pebbles or paving stones. even ones from home depot look better than concrete. nothing looks worse than concrete, except concete trying to not look like concrete.
it's like the line in boogie nights about his "genuine imported italian polyester shirt".
Posted by: Anonymous at June 6, 2007 5:58 PM
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