Exposed Aggregate Front Porch Part 2

You can find part 1 of the exposed aggregate front porch here. The process we’ve used in years past was to wait long enough for the concrete to set up before getting on it and using a garden hose and broom to lightly hose the top layer revealing the aggregate. I find that using a pressure washer works better for a few reasons. One major reason is that I can leave and come back the next day fresh. I can also adjust the pressure depending on the tip I use.

I use a nozzle that isn’t all that powerful and is a little more gentle than the yellow tip I’ve used in the past. You don’t want to spray too close the top or you can blow rocks out. With the tip I’m using in the video, I keep the wand about 90° to the concrete while removing the top layer. A low angle can also blow rocks out. I spray until the water is clear and work across the porch. Take a short break and then move back across.

That’s really all there is too it. Coke acts as an easily sourced retardant that is cheap and consistent. Exposed aggregate is very common where I live in the Pacific Northwest and a very durable finish. If after the job is done you want to remove a little more cement, you can brush muriatac acid over the surface and then seal it.