Protecting outdoor high-traffic surfaces

 Are you doing enough to safeguard your property?

“Sure,” you might say. “I make sure my masonry is in good shape. My buildings stay clean and neat and free of graffiti. My property is tidy.”

But when it comes to keeping one of your most important investments protected, there’s an area of preventive maintenance you might be ignoring. And it’s one that’s easily overlooked, because most people don’t think of it as needed. In fact, unless you make a habit of looking down everywhere you go, you probably won’t even notice.

It’s your pavement.

Coatings for high-traffic surfaces

Whether you’re protecting the concourses of an arena, the inside of a parking garage, a set of stairs or a pedestrian ramp, the principle is the same. Concrete wears down over time with traffic. Ultraviolet light, precipitation, standing water and other natural processes will erode it too. If you want to keep it from wearing down or staining, the best way is to seal it with some sort of coating that won’t degrade the same way. These coatings will act as a membrane between concrete and the elements to keep the weather out.

There are a huge variety of coatings available for these surfaces, but they have a few things in common. They’re all waterproof to avoid water incursion in surface cracks. Many have elastomeric properties that allow them some flex, and they also often provide some skid resistance.

Preparing for coatings

Any coating requires proper application technique on a prepared surface, and these traffic coatings are no different. Often, especially if a surface is older, it may require some extra cleaning. Power washing or solvents may be required, and in more severe cases sandblasting might be necessary to ensure a completely clean surface. When the surface is entirely clean, the application can take place.

Protective coatings need to be applied during a time when traffic can be stopped from moving over the area for a long period. That period will depend on the coating and the area. No matter what the coating, it’s best to hire a professional for application, because if the coating is improperly applied it will peel up and be worse than no coating at all. Instead of keeping moisture out, it will trap moisture in.

Hiring a professional to put a high-traffic coating on your vulnerable surfaces will help you safeguard your buildings and grounds against wear and tear. If you think you could use this or any of our other services, give JK Industries a call. We’ll help you keep your property in top shape.