# Forum Home Renovation Concreting  Difficult to pretty up a plain concrete patio at a later date?

## rosewood

In front of our house we intend to put a patio. It's in full shade half the year so it won't grow grass, and thus we're anxious to get it covered so it's not a constant muddy, weedy mess.  
We don't want pavers, so we're considering some kind of stamped concrete but we'd prefer not to commit to a pattern just yet, and of course a plain slab would be cheaper and money is tight.  It's a fairly large (4x10m) space, so I expect a plain slab will look pretty stark and we will eventually want to improve the look of it. 
Is it fairly easy to pretty a plain slab up at a later date?  Or is it really something far better done when pouring the concrete?

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## droog

If you want stamped concrete it needs to be done when it is poured, the other option is a sprayed finish which can be done later on an existing slab.

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## Sir Stinkalot

How about exposed aggregate?  
Alternatively getting a decorative aggregate mixed in now to a coloured concrete and then grinding to give a polished concrete when you are ready to do the patio.

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## rosewood

Thanks guys, some good ideas.

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