Protecting outdoor concrete with the right product

By The Coffee Shops™. 

From freeze-thaw cycles and pool chemicals to vehicle traffic and UV exposure, outdoor concrete requires special care. 

Outdoor living spaces continue to grow in popularity, but the concrete surfaces that pave patios, pool decks, driveways and garages are exposed to constant environmental and performance challenges. In a recent episode of From the Ground Up™, Dan Hedberg, assistant product manager for concrete and floor coatings for Sherwin-Williams H&C®, explained why understanding those challenges is essential when selecting the best products for long-term protection. 

According to Dan, climate plays a major role in coating performance. Northern regions must contend with freeze-thaw cycles, road salts and harsh winter conditions, while southern climates face intense UV exposure and heat. “Whether you're up north or down south, there are lots of things to take into consideration,” Dan said. 

Different outdoor surfaces also face unique stressors. “We have some chemical exposure to worry about,” Dan explained. “Think about all the nasty things that we store in our garage or that might drip off of our car. Driveways and garage floors must withstand vehicle traffic and substances such as gasoline, oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid. At the same time, Pool decks are exposed to standing water, splash zones and chemicals that can cause some coatings to soften, discolor or fail over time.   

Those ongoing conditions make product selection especially important for contractors. Dan emphasized that choosing a coating designed for the environment can help reduce callbacks and rework. That’s why Sherwin-Williams' H&C developed Heavy Shield Plus, a concrete coating designed to protect outdoor concrete at the highest level.  

“It's designed with supreme adhesion technology, essentially formulated with a polymer with a much smaller particle size than the existing Heavy Shield product uses. Meaning, it can get down and bite into that concrete even harder, even more longer lasting,” Dan said. 

Ultimately, protecting outdoor concrete requires matching products to the realities of the environment, understanding how each surface will be used and following proper installation practices from the start. 

Listen to the entire podcast or Watch the video to learn more about protecting outdoor concrete.