How can you make a scratty concrete yard look nice?

[Tigercubrider]

Not cheap but resin bonded gravel could be used to make paths?
The whole area would be expensive and look like a massive flapjack but paths would work?

 

[MisterBoy]

Bark is ok for a garden space but I'd like this area to still be a courtyard so it stays dry and tidy.

Unless you screed the whole area you won't get a completely even finish.

You could paint it with a base colour, then tape it out and paint in groutlines, and pick out some 'tiles' in slightly darker or lighter tones to add variety and hide inconsistency.

You can even get metallic marble finishes in epoxy resin if you want to spend £££s.

https://www.resincoat.co.uk/en/outdoor/455-resincoat-outdoor-patio-paint.html

Oh I'm not after some pristeen perfect space, just something better than "behind a warehouse"...

Here's a photo from my office window. There's a bit more to the right and another bit behind my left shoulder but you get the idea. As I say I think it could be a really lovely space but I've put off tidying it up because the concrete drags it down and we don't use it much. The previous owners planted ivy all along that wall that was about 4 feet deep and 20 feet long!

 

[StephenStephen]

I had this problem.
I decked it - decking screwed down onto battens laid on the concrete, held in place by the walls around it. It was great, more attractive, more comfortable. The issue I then had was that the decking got slippy in the winter, but it was north facing with high walls.

 

[MisterBoy]

@StephenStephen do you not find it gets full of rubbish that's hard to clear out? I don't think I'd use decking other than composite these days and it sounds pretty pricey for this sort of area but I can definitely imagine it looking great. You don't have any pictures do you?

 

[Nige F]

Bark is ok for a garden space but I'd like this area to still be a courtyard so it stays dry and tidy.


Oh I'm not after some pristeen perfect space, just something better than "behind a warehouse"...

Here's a photo from my office window. There's a bit more to the right and another bit behind my left shoulder but you get the idea. As I say I think it could be a really lovely space but I've put off tidying it up because the concrete drags it down and we don't use it much. The previous owners planted ivy all along that wall that was about 4 feet deep and 20 feet long!

Yeah ...........nice

 

[StephenStephen]

@StephenStephen do you not find it gets full of rubbish that's hard to clear out? I don't think I'd use decking other than composite these days and it sounds pretty pricey for this sort of area but I can definitely imagine it looking great. You don't have any pictures do you?

before and after - I'd forgotten that I also used a couple of old sleepers and some crazy paving

 

[MisterBoy]

Very nice

 

[MisterBoy]

Unless you screed the whole area you won't get a completely even finish.

Coming back to this, could screeding be as simple as self-levelling compound? As well as cracks thre are the odd patch where the gravel is showing through, guessing patching where someone didn't take the troouble to do it properly.

I've not worked with self-levelling before to know how big a job that would be. I could get someone to do it but don't have the budget for a huge project!

 

[OwainDIYer]

Coming back to this, could screeding be as simple as self-levelling compound? As well as cracks thre are the odd patch where the gravel is showing through, guessing patching where someone didn't take the troouble to do it properly.

I've not worked with self-levelling before to know how big a job that would be. I could get someone to do it but don't have the budget for a huge project!

I think you'd need some proper concrete to fill the holes, then an exterior self-levelling compound would do.
It's not difficult to use provided you've got a paddle mixer on an SDS drill and ideally someone to mix the next bucket while you're spreading the first. The whole lot needs to go down quickly in one go as if you lose the 'wet edge' you get a line from the surface tension.

 

[JohnD]

it might be level the day you do it

but patched concrete will crack.

and screed will not stop it.