The repair of carbonated concrete or the prevention of concrete carbonation is a major concern to practitioners. If concrete in a particular environment suffers serious damage due to carbonation, then it must be replaced by a superior substance or protected from further CO2 ingress. New "carbonation resistant" materials to the are being introduced to the market every day. It is important that engineers investigate these materials prior to use to ensure their suitability for the application in question. The work reported here examines the performance of three commercial surface coatings and a repair mortar. The results are applicable to the materials tested only and are part of a long term research project.