Concrete overlays are an excellent way to transform your surfaces to look just the way you want them to. When you are getting concrete overlays, you can turn your vertical and horizontal surfaces into the designs of your dreams, be that a fireplace that looks hewn out of stone or a floor that looks like it’s made of wood. Before you get concrete overlays, it’s important to know a few key factors, such as the condition of the surface you want them applied to and the kind of maintenance you can expect.
Here’s what you need to know about concrete overlays and 4 key questions you should ask yourself before getting concrete overlays.
Concrete overlays are thin layers of concrete that are applied over existing concrete surfaces. They can be done either to repair a surface or for decorative purposes. They can be smooth, stamped, or finished, so that they look just the way you want them to. People turn to concrete overlays when they want to smooth out their concrete surfaces or when they want to transform them.
Getting concrete overlays is more cost-effective than ripping up your existing concrete and having an entirely new surface installed, gives you more customization options, and reduces maintenance.
Before getting concrete overlays, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself in order to ensure that they last as long as possible and that they look the way you want them to. Here are 4 of the questions that you can ask yourself before getting concrete overlays.
Concrete overlays are often touted as a cure-all for damaged concrete. While it’s true that getting concrete overlays can protect your surfaces and repair problems, due to how surfaces need to be ground down and smoothed out for the overlay to be applied on, an overlay is typically only as good as the surface itself. Before getting concrete overlays, you want to analyze the condition of your surface.
Too many overlays that fail after a few months or years do so either because the contractor didn’t do a proper job of prepping the surface before applying the concrete or because of issues with the surface itself. Your surface shouldn’t be cracked, dirty, wet, or at the end of its lifespan. If it does have cracks, they will need to be filled. If it’s dirty, it will need to be cleaned.
Before getting concrete overlays, you and your contractor should look at the surfaces you want them applied to and ensure that proper surface preparation is done, so that they last as long as possible.
Before getting concrete overlays, you’ll want to go over the conditions that they’ll be exposed to with your contractor. Different materials are better for different purposes, and you want to ensure that the overlay you get is made of a material that will be able to withstand all of the conditions that it is going to be exposed to.
Some of the conditions that you and your contractor will want to make note of include:
Some people consider getting concrete overlays because they just want to refresh their surface, while others want them to both restore and transform a surface. You have many options when it comes to the type of look you can get for your concrete overlays. If you aren’t sure of what kind of look you want, you can consult with your contractor about the options available to you. They’ll be able to provide you with samples of previous work they’ve done as well as the finishes and color selections they provide.
Concrete overlays can look like simple smoothed out concrete, but they can also look like wood, like stone, and other surfaces.
When most people consider getting concrete overlays, it’s to help reduce maintenance. However, concrete overlays may be low maintenance, but they still need maintenance from time to time, the same as anything else. You’ll want to ask your contractor about what maintenance they recommend in order to keep your overlays looking their best.
Stone Edge Surfaces provides concrete overlays for vertical and horizontal surfaces. If you’re looking into getting concrete overlays, we can provide them for you. Contact us today for more information!
