Thornlands is newer Redlands: largely post-2000 estate housing with sound plain slabs, so most work here is first-time decorative rather than remediation. Estate colour schedules apply in parts of the suburb and we sample within them. Being slightly inland, salt load is lower than at Cleveland or Wellington Point.
What we do here
Thornlands is the newer end of the Redlands. Post-2000 estate housing, engineered slabs, plain concrete that has never been decorated — which makes the work here specification rather than rescue.
It also sits marginally further from the water than Cleveland or Wellington Point, and that shows in sealer performance. Salt load is lower, so film sealers become viable again where they would be a bad idea on the coast.
- First-time decorative finishes over plain slabs
- Pool surrounds at R11–R12
- Patios and alfresco areas
- New driveways, shed slabs and paths
- Garage floors in flake or epoxy
- Work within estate colour schedules
What the slabs are like in Thornlands
Newer slabs bring the moisture question. Concrete poured within the last couple of years can still be releasing water, and sealing over it traps moisture that pushes the coating off later. We moisture test before laying anything sealed, every time.
The estate context matters here more than in older Redlands suburbs. Covenanted developments frequently carry a colour and finish schedule, and a resurfacing job has to sit inside it. We sample within the schedule rather than arguing with it — most covenants restrict colour and gloss level, not method, so there is usually more room than owners expect.
Preparation is the technical risk on sound estate concrete. A slick trowelled surface or a curing compound will stop an overlay keying in, so it needs a mechanical grind rather than an acid etch. That step is invisible in the finished job and it is the reason it lasts.
Licensed concreting contractor, fully insured.
On site, with the slab tested before anyone quotes a finish.
Foot traffic at 24 hours, vehicles at 72 on most finishes.
Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and both coasts.
How we schedule Thornlands work
Thornlands jobs move quickly: flat access, room for a truck, and no failed coating to strip. Most complete in two to three days once we are on site.
Bring the estate colour schedule to the quote if there is one. It saves a round trip and lets us sample inside the rules the first time.
Services in this area
What goes down most often here
Stencilled concrete
A paper stencil laid into the colour coat, sprayed over and lifted — leaving pattern joints in a second colour.
See finishExposed aggregate
Washed back to reveal the stone. The South East Queensland driveway default, and the most forgiving surface underfoot.
See finishFlake flooring
Vinyl flake broadcast into resin and sealed. The garage and laundry floor that hides dust and shrugs off tyre marks.
See finishThe questions we get asked in Thornlands
Our estate has a colour schedule. Can you work to it?
Yes. Bring it to the quote and we sample within it. Most covenants restrict colour and gloss, not method — there is usually more freedom than owners expect.
The slab is only two years old. Does it still need grinding?
Yes. New concrete carries a curing compound and often a slick trowelled surface. An overlay will not bond to either.
Is salt still an issue this far from the water?
Less than at Cleveland or Wellington Point. Film sealers become viable here where they would be a poor choice on the coast.
Can you do the driveway, pool surround and shed slab together?
Yes, and it lowers the rate per square metre. Setup is a fixed cost regardless of how many areas we do.
Worth reading first
Others in Redland City
Send a photo of the slab.
We will tell you whether it can be resurfaced, what finish suits it, and what it costs — before anyone turns up with a grinder.