Outdoor Concrete Acrylic Coatings

If you want to restore a worn outdoor surface with mild imperfections, whether a patio, walkway, or driveway, high-quality acrylic coatings are perfect. These coatings create a slip-resistant surface and are easy to clean. Another benefit is that because the surface remains cool to the touch, even on sizzling summer days, they are ideal for pool decks.

Decorative concrete transforms both the appearance and functionality of a broad range of outdoor surfaces. However, if you want to enhance the look even further, you should seriously consider acrylic coatings. With incredible versatility, they work on almost any design.

As a prime example, applying acrylic coatings on top of stamped concrete gives the design more dimension. That means if you have a patio stamped to look like genuine wood, brick, or rock, the right product will enhance an already beautiful surface. Not only will you and your family enjoy the new look, but it will stun friends who come to visit.

Keep in mind that to achieve what you want, make sure the installer you hire uses a superior-quality product, like SunColor. For this kind of project, an expert first power washes the existing concrete surface. Once thoroughly dried, the expert applies an epoxy primer followed by the acrylic coating.

The best acrylic coatings can even add texture to the concrete surface. For instance, SunSand adds a slight amount of texture to give the space originality while making the surface more slip-resistant. You can also choose from multiple colors that create a unique personality. If you want a unique look, have masonry or aggregate effects added.

Superior-quality acrylic coatings look fantastic and require little maintenance. Ultimately, you end up with a concrete surface with a distinctive look you can enjoy for many years. For ideas, you can research online or talk to the installer about various possibilities.

Concrete sealer on a driveway

Whether you are having a new surface installed or an overlay applied, concrete sealers are essential. A quality sealer protects the concrete from harmful UV rays, road salts, oil spills, hot tire marks, and various other contaminants. As a result, the driveway lasts a long time and looks great.

Also, if you had a colored overlay applied to a driveway, patio, walkway, pool deck, or any other outdoor concrete surface and sealed, you never have to worry about discoloration caused by the sun. The same goes for oil and other fluid spills from changing the oil or flushing the radiator. Concrete sealers protect the surface from spilled grease and antifreeze.

Concrete sealers can also enhance the appearance of overlays, finishes, and coatings. For instance, by having color added to a sealer, it revives the look of the decorative concrete surface. In fact, it can alter it to some degree. You can even select from different degrees of sheen, meaning you can opt for a sealer that creates a slight or intense glossy surface.

Something else to know about concrete sealers is that because they act as a layer of protection, you will find it much easier to keep the surface clean and maintained. Typically, sweeping and hosing it off with a garden hose is all you need. For stubborn stains, you can purchase a quality cleaning product explicitly formulated for sealed concrete surfaces.

For you to enjoy all the benefits that concrete sealers provide, it is imperative to have a quality product applied. Something like SunClear EcoProtect or SunClear UltraProtect is ideal. Remember, concrete is a porous material. Because of that, fluids penetrate. Without a sealer, things like chemicals, sunlight, oil, fertilizer, and salt can cause considerable damage. For flawless service and lasting beauty, always have a concrete surface sealed with a quality product.

Sometimes, the formula for decorative concrete products works only for specific applications. One of the many exciting aspects of polished concrete floors is that they do incredibly well in almost every commercial environment.

Key Advantages

Polished concrete floors in commercial space

For commercial use, polished concrete floors offer several benefits. Some examples of those include:

• Versatility – For restaurants, retail shops, grocery stores, car dealerships, medical or dental offices, arcade centers, and so on, you can use polished concrete floors for a variety of applications.
• Resistant to Foot Traffic – Unlike residential properties, commercial businesses typically have a significant amount of foot traffic. Fortunately, with outstanding resistance to this, you will enjoy years of flawless service from these floors.
• Maintenance and Cleaning – Especially if you do not have a professional cleaning crew, you will love the ease of cleaning and maintaining these floors. Because of the polished surface, you never have to apply coatings or waxes. To keep the floors in your business in pristine condition, sweeping as needed and occasional damp mopping is all you need to do.
• Vehicle Traffic – When using polished concrete floors in a warehouse, plant, or manufacturing facility, not only does the surface resist heavy foot traffic, but it can also resist tire marks caused by forklifts, product pickers, and other machinery.
• Additional Resistant Qualities – Depending on your business, you might deal with many water, chemical, or oil spills. Again, polished concrete floors have a high resistance level to these substances and more. In fact, as a breathable flooring system, you never have to worry about moisture transmission issues.
• Reflectivity – For some commercial environments, reflectivity is essential. For example, if you have a retail shop or car dealership, the reflection off the floor enhances displays. As a result, consumers gravitate to specific areas or items, which in turn, helps boost sales and generate revenue. At the same time, the high reflectivity level means you can reduce the amount of lighting used, which equates to less energy consumption.

Floor options include resurfacing with an Overlay

Whether you are starting a new car dealership or you already own one and are looking for inexpensive ways to improve your business, when you need new floors, you want something cost-effective. Fortunately, you have several viable floor options that will not only boost the appearance of your showroom but also the business.

To create a space where you can highlight specific vehicles, assist customers, and make potential buyers feel comfortable, consider some of the top cost-effective floor options listed below.

• Polished Concrete Floors – For attracting customers, decorative concrete polished floors work incredibly well. With an unbelievable shine and stunning color choices, you can wow customers the minute they walk into your showroom. This flooring system’s high reflectivity serves another purpose. When putting vehicles on display, the reflection enhances their appearance. Remember, the more something sparkles, the more people pay attention.
• Stamped Concrete – Stamped concrete is another one of the best floor options for your showroom. With this, an installer uses a mat to create specific designs based on your preferences. In addition to a floor that replicates the look of natural stone, wood, brick, and so on, you can have this flooring solution customized.
• Stained Concrete – Both water- and acid-based stains also rank as top floor options. While an acid-based stain penetrates the surface to become a permanent color, a water-based product colors the top layer. With the first option, the stain reacts to chemicals in the concrete. Because of that, you end up with a one-of-a-kind marbled effect that is sure to make an impression. For the latter choice, you have a much broader range of colors.

Resurfacing Your Showroom Floor

Even if they are stained or discolored, if the existing floors in your showroom only have mild to moderate surface imperfections, you can opt for resurfacing. In this case, a decorative overlay transforms the appearance of the concrete. Regardless of what you select, each of these floor options is cost-effective, highly resistant to damage, and long-lasting.

Stained Concrete Floor

Whether you are building a new home in New Orleans or simply remodeling, you have a lot of decisions to make. While each one is important, choosing the right flooring ranks high on the list. Why? Not only does the floor serve as the foundation for everything, but it also receives the most use and abuse. Without question, a concrete floor provides more benefits compared to any other flooring system, making it a worthwhile choice.

Keep in mind that this is not an ordinary concrete floor but one that is beautifully designed using overlays, coatings, or finishes. For instance, after having new concrete poured as part of building a house, you have endless design possibilities. When remodeling or renovating, instead of ripping out the existing surface and reinstalling it, you can have it resurfaced. Once it is complete, your floor will look brand-new.

Primary Benefits

To better understand why you should select a concrete floor for your New Orleans home, consider some of the additional advantages it provides over other flooring systems.

• Appearance – Regardless of the style of your house or the interior color scheme or theme, you can use decorative concrete to achieve any look you want. Along with beautiful colors, you have wonderful choices for both texture and patterns. As a result, you will have no problem selecting a customizable flooring system that meets your criteria.
• Long Life – Concrete is one of the longest-lasting materials in the world, which is evident in the vast number of buildings still standing after 100 years or more. As a flooring system, concrete outlasts the time homeowners stay in a house.
• Functionality – The issue with carpeting is that within 5 to 10 years, you need to replace it. While hardwood looks incredible, it scratches, ceramic tile breaks, and linoleum eventually discolors or curls. With a concrete floor, you have a system that is highly resistant to abrasions, impact, chemicals, oil, stains, water, and a host of other issues. For those reasons alone, a decorative concrete flooring solution is the ideal choice for any room in your New Orleans home.