Situation
So one day you notice some imperfections in the concrete of your driveway and you ask yourself what to do now. In the old days, the thought of concrete removal and replacement was pretty much the only thing going through your head. No need to worry, Decorative Concrete Overlay is now here. As long as your concrete meets a few requirements, all should be good using this fantastic product. We will get to these requirements in a bit.
What is it?
So, in a nutshell, what is decorative concrete overlay? Simply put, it is a cement-based product with a blend of polymer resins with cement, sand, and other additives. These overlays can use acrylic due to the fact that these resins administer a great potency of bond strength and UV protection. Because there are different combinations of these resins, you will have recognizable physical characteristics; thus making unique systems that achieve the same goal of beautification. These overlays can be applied a few inches thick to as thin as paperclip. This gives flexibility considering on where the product will be used.
Benefits
This type of concrete provides the residential or commercial customer the ability to give their old, worn out concrete a “face-lift” without the bill that would have come from total replacement work. There is an endless supply of colors and designs. Believe it or not, that can be the biggest challenge for some when it comes to this work. So what do you get from using this besides a great looking piece of property? Decorative concrete overlay provides the following benefits:
1. Reduced costs
2. Great durability
3. Low maintenance
4. UV protection
5. Slip resistant (which is great for swimming pool areas)
6. Protection from salt and other chemicals
7. Protection from scratches and scuff marks
8. Protection from the dreaded freeze-thaw cycle.
Contraindications
Now to the big question of who can use this product? A very important note to all of this is that not all current concrete has the ability to be resurfaced due to certain factors. Here is a list of contraindications for the use of this product:
1. What absolutely must be present is a stable underlying base of the area of interest or it can’t be used.
2. If fragmentation of the existing material is present from previous freeze-thaw cycles, then it can’t be used.
3. If there are serious cracks that have occurred from the instability of the area, then it can’t be used.
4. If the existing material is raised, then it can’t be used.
In these above situations, the concrete will have to be removed and replaced the old fashion way. For all other situations, the sky is the limit.
Summary
So as you can see, decorative concrete overlay is a great product that provides a plethora of options for both the residential and commercial customer.