Restore Faded or Discolored Concrete with Cem-Coat Plus

When concrete loses its color, fades unevenly, or develops blotchy patches, it can drag down the look of your entire home — especially in high-visibility areas like driveways, patios, and walkways. Brickform’s Cem-Coat Plus offers a practical, cost-effective way to bring tired concrete back to life. Instead of tearing out and replacing a slab, you can apply this cement-based paint alternative to achieve consistent, long-lasting color that restores curb appeal and protects your investment. Whether you’re dealing with a faded driveway, a mismatched patio, or stamped concrete that didn’t turn out the way you hoped, Cem-Coat Plus can deliver a dramatic transformation.

Why Concrete Discoloration Happens

Inconsistent finishing techniques, variations in water content during concrete placement, improper curing, and poor workmanship can all lead to blotchy, uneven color — even when the concrete itself is structurally sound. For contractors, these problems often lead to callbacks, frustrated clients, and costly tear-outs.

The good news is that discoloration is almost always cosmetic and rarely affects the concrete’s strength. In most cases, the slab doesn’t need to be replaced — you just need a reliable way to correct the color. Learn more about the common causes of discolored concrete.

What Is Cem-Coat Plus?

Cem-Coat Plus is a cement-based coating designed to recolor and refresh unsealed concrete surfaces, including driveways, patios, walkways, porches, and floors.

Unlike basic paint, it bonds to the surface to create an opaque, uniform finish that hides discoloration and adds new life to aging concrete. That makes it a great option when the goal is not just a color change, but a more durable architectural finish that can be further enhanced with stains or antiquing products. Once sealed, the coating stands up to weather, foot traffic, and everyday wear.

How Is It Installed?

A successful Cem-Coat Plus application starts with proper surface preparation. Like most concrete coatings, it performs best when the slab is structurally sound and the surface is clean, open, and ready to accept the new finish. Preparation may include removing old sealers, addressing surface buildup, and lightly sandblasting or acid etching to create the appropriate profile.

Once the surface is ready, installers apply the coating in thin, even layers using a roller or airless sprayer to achieve uniform coverage and color consistency. It acts as both a primer and color coat, reducing the need for separate priming. After the coating has dried, a compatible sealer — such as Gem-Seal 100 — is required to protect the finish, enhance the color, and improve abrasion and UV resistance.

Decorative Options

During mixing, Cem-Coat Plus is often combined with Brickform Overlay Liquid Colorant, which is available in a wide range of standard and custom colors. This can serve as a stand-alone finish or as the base for additional decorative techniques.

To add visual depth, installers can enhance Cem-Coat Plus with stains or antiquing products, such as Brickform Antique-It and Brickform ARTesion water-based stains. These materials settle into the low areas of textured surfaces, enriching the appearance and highlighting detail — an especially effective technique on stamped concrete.

It’s also possible to combine multiple Cem-Coat Plus colors or layer stains to create two-tone borders, accent bands, contrasting panels, and other custom patterns.

What the Pros Say

“People ask me why I use Cem-Coat, and it has to be the versatility. I can use it on broom-finished concrete and stamped work and stain or antique it. You can’t do that with other coatings. This is cement-based so you’re left with a porous surface you can color or seal however the customer wants.”

— Dallin Petty, owner of MDRN Concrete Specialties, Kaysville, Utah

Key Benefits

For homeowners, the biggest appeal of Cem-Coat Plus is simple: it dramatically improves the look of existing concrete without the hassle of replacing it. That can mean a major reduction in time, cost, and disruption.

Just as important, Cem-Coat Plus fits a wide range of design goals. It can be used for a straightforward solid-color refresh or as part of a decorative restoration that includes antiquing or staining. This flexibility makes it an excellent option for both simple makeovers and more customized finishes. It’s especially valuable on stamped concrete, where color issues are common and highly visible.

For contractors, Cem-Coat Plus offers a dependable way to correct blotchy, uneven, or mismatched concrete without grinding, overlaying, or tearing out the slab. Because it can be applied by roller or sprayer, installers can cover large areas efficiently. Cem-Coat Plus also bonds well to properly cleaned and profiled unsealed concrete, reducing the risk of callbacks and ensuring optimum long-term performance.

Where Cem-Coat Plus Works Best

Cem-Coat Plus is ideal when the concrete is structurally sound but the surface color has become uneven, faded, or outdated. Driveways are one of the most common applications, especially when discoloration affects curb appeal. Patios, walkways, and other high-visibility areas also benefit from a more uniform, refreshed finish.

Typical uses include:

• Stamped concrete needing recoloring
• Faded or discolored broom-finished driveways
• Porches and entryways needing a fresh, modern look
• Interior floors (basements, restaurants, commercial spaces)

Cem-Coat Plus is not suitable for slabs with major structural damage or that have been previously sealed or coated, unless all sealer residue is removed before application.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: UTAH DRIVEWAY MAKEOVER

In the right application, Cem-Coat Plus can turn an unevenly colored concrete slab into a surface that looks newly installed. A great example is this makeover in Kamas, Utah, where a stamped concrete driveway with uneven, blotchy color was transformed into a much more consistent, attractive surface. Because the driveway contained in-slab heating, replacement wasn’t a realistic option, since demolition would have been extremely costly. The stamped texture also made the discoloration more noticeable.

Before

After

Instead of tearing out the slab, the existing surface was renewed with a decorative coating system that preserved the stamped pattern while dramatically improving the overall appearance. The result was a cleaner, more uniform driveway that complemented the home and avoided the expense of full replacement.

Is Cem-Coat Plus Right for Your Home?

For many homeowners, restoring concrete with Cem-Coat Plus is the ideal middle ground between living with unattractive concrete and paying for a full replacement.

Here’s a quick checklist to determine if it’s the right fit for your project:

• Your concrete is structurally sound (no major cracks, scaling, or movement).
• The surface is unsealed or you’re willing to remove existing sealer completely.
• You want a uniform, refreshed look — either a base color change or added depth with antiquing or stains.
• You prefer a cost-effective upgrade instead of tearing out and replacing concrete.
• You’re comfortable with basic maintenance, including periodic resealing.

Under the right conditions and with proper surface preparation, Cem-Coat Plus delivers a practical, long-lasting upgrade that brings new life to existing concrete.