Patios and walkways
Patio and walkway coating
Exterior concrete has two jobs a garage floor does not: it has to survive full sun without changing color, and it has to stay grippy when it is wet. That rules out most of what gets sold as a patio coating.
What outdoor concrete is up against here
A patio in this climate goes through roughly forty freeze and thaw cycles a year. Water gets into the surface, freezes overnight, expands, and takes a little of the slab with it every time.
Add UV. Anything epoxy based ambers in direct sun, and a yellowed patio looks worse than the bare concrete it replaced.
- Freeze thaw damageSurface scaling and pitting, worst near the edges and steps
- UV yellowingThe reason epoxy has no business outdoors
- Slip when wetSmooth sealers get dangerous the moment it rains
- EfflorescenceWhite bloom that keeps coming back through untreated slabs
| Topcoat | UV stable polyaspartic, will not amber |
|---|---|
| Texture | Anti slip additive broadcast into the final coat |
| Season | March through November for exterior work |
| Install time | One day for most patios |
| Warranty | 15 years, written |
| Price | $7 to $10 per square foot installed |
Resurface instead of replacing
A patio that is cracked and pitted but structurally sound does not need to come out. Tearing out and repouring costs multiples of a coating and buys you a slab that will do the same thing again in ten years.
What a coating cannot fix is a slab that has heaved or settled. If sections have moved relative to each other, that is a base problem and we will tell you so at the quote.
Questions we get about this one.
Will it be slippery when it rains?
Not with the texture additive, which we put in the final coat on every exterior job by default. Say so at the quote if you want it more aggressive than standard.
Can you do this in the fall?
Yes, through about November depending on the weather. Exterior work needs a dry slab and a dry forecast, which is the real constraint rather than temperature.
Does it work over pavers or stamped concrete?
Over stamped concrete, usually yes. Over pavers, no. Pavers move independently and a seamless coating will crack along every joint.
Other floors we do
- Garage floorsA garage slab in this valley takes more abuse than any other concrete on the property.
- BasementsMost basements in this part of the state sit on a slab poured decades ago, often without a vapor barrier under it.
- Pool decksA pool deck has to be safe with bare wet feet on it, comfortable in full sun, and able to shrug off chlorine and salt.
- Commercial and industrialOn a commercial floor the specification matters more than the color, and downtime usually matters most of all.
Send a photo of your floor.
You get a real number back, not a range and not a starting at.
$7 to $10 per square foot installed · 15 year written warranty