Floor Maintenance Tips for Your Patio's Concrete Protective Coating
If you are planning to reconstruct your patio then you should put into consideration how you are going to protect its concrete floors. While concrete floors are durable, you want to add some aesthetics to it so that the appearance of your patio does not become boring when all the work is finished. One way to improve the aesthetic value of the concrete floor is to have a protective coating applied to it. Once you have settled on a protective concrete coating, you need to take certain steps to maintain it for durability reasons. The following are ways to protect your concrete coating.
Patio Furniture -- While you may not spend a lot of time on your patio, having furniture there is still advisable. With your concrete coating, you will not want the furniture to scratch the surface and make a mess of its sleek look. Therefore, if you are planning to place some furniture onto the coating, make sure that you fix rubber or plastic coasters on their legs, especially if they are metallic furniture. This will avoid scratches or rust from staining the protective coating. In case you have concrete furniture, ensure you raise them using blocks of wood.
Carpets and Mats -- The number one enemy for your concrete protective coating are coverings that retain moisture and condensation, such as plastic mats and carpets. Therefore, for the durability of the protective coating, you should avoid such floor accessories, as they will damage the coating. An alternative to these is going for woven mats or carpets because these allow moisture to evaporate easily. Additionally, they allow proper air circulation on the surface of the coating. However, you should make a point of lifting the woven mats and carpets periodically, especially during cleaning to avoid the surface coating from softening.
Re-Sealing -- Depending on the level of foot traffic and wear on your patio, re-sealing the protective coating will extend its durability and maintain its performance. Make sure that you use a recommended sealer for the protective coating you have used on your concrete floor for best results. Resealing also makes it easier to clean your concrete protective coating on your patio. For example, during cleaning, crevices can retain water or clearing agents and make it hard to dry the surface. Other than making cleaning difficult, fluids that get retained in crevices reduce the durability of your concrete coating.