Choosing A Concrete Overlay System: Things To Consider

Choosing A Concrete Overlay System: Things To Consider

If you have had enough of your chipped, pitted and cracking concrete surface, you are probably looking for some guidance on what to do about it. You could rip up and replace your old concrete, but that is a time and budget consuming hassle. Concrete overlay resurfacing is a great alternative to concrete replacement. Here we go over some of the things you should consider and help you understand concrete overlay resurfacing systems and how to determine which is the best for circumstances.

Basics Of Concrete Overlay Resurfacing

Basically, concrete overlay resurfacing is a cost effective alternative to concrete removal. Rather than demolishing the old concrete and repouring new concrete, concrete overlay involves repairing concrete cracking, bridging gaps, and then using a overlay system to cover the old concrete. This overlay can be decorative or plain depending on your needs. It is used on sidewalks, walkways, driveways, garages, interior, exterior, pool and roof surfaces and more. Check out our concrete resurfacing FAQ page for more info. Before you decide on a concrete overlay resurfacing system, ask yourself some of the following questions to help you determine which system fits your needs.

What Is The Condition Of The Existing Surface?

Does the concrete have a lot of cracks and gouges, or are they small aesthetic line cracks? If the damage to the surface is considerable, you want to make sure that you choose a concrete overlay that can accommodate not only resurfacing but crack repair. The best way to handle larger cracks, greater than ¼ of an inch is to use a concrete crack filler like Semco Concrete Crack Filler which can bridge concrete gaps greater than ¼ inch. Then you can apply the overlay system. If you don’t fill the cracks, the overlay can fail to bond and the cracks could telegraph through the overlay over time.

What Will The Concrete Overlay Be Exposed To?

Another thing to consider before deciding on a concrete overlay resurfacing system is what kind of conditions the surface is regularly exposed to. For example, interior concrete surfaces are not exposed to the same elements, changing weather conditions, UV exposure as exterior systems. While interior surfaces like garage flooring are exposed to chemicals from cars and heavy machinery that a pool deck will not be. We recommend making a list of all the possible conditions and elements that your surface is exposed to on a regular basis and using this list to make a choice about which system is best for you. Take into consideration things like surface strength PSI for garage flooring and UV resistance for a pool deck, roof deck or decorative overlay.

How Do You Want It To Look?

This is perhaps the most important question. The reason that you are even considering concrete overlay in the first place is because you are tired of looking at old, worn, broken and cracking concrete. The goal of an overlay should be to restore and beautify your concrete surface. What the final product looks like depends on the overlay. Some overlays are just a bland concrete coloring, which may be exactly what you are looking for. But if you want a decorative look or something more than grey concrete color, there are overlay systems designed for this. Semco concrete overlay systems, for example, come in a variety of colors, mixtures and textures. We hoped that this brief guide helped you narrow your focus when choosing a concrete overlay system. Semco Florida is dedicated to helping you get the concrete resurfacing system that is best for your home, business or municipality. Contact us to learn more about Semco Concrete Resurfacing and Overlay Contractors in your area.

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