I love my mother-in-law but I never planned on living with her permanently. I have been enjoying her living with us now that we have kids but I feel like we all need some extra space so I am getting a granny flat built at the back of our block. This should allow us to have some extra space to make sure everyone has the privacy that they need whilst we can still be a family. This block has some tip on the process of building a granny flat including how to choose a contractor and how to get the council approval for the build.
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While concrete that is properly mixed and installed is hard and durable, the elements, such as natural air, rain, snow, ice, etc. can be hard on concrete surfaces. Over time, bare concrete will start to deteriorate because of some of its inherent qualities, including porosity, moisture content, alkalinity, water absorbency, and so on. If the surface of the concrete is not protected, the elements will easily have their way with the concrete. For that reason, applying a protective coating on the surface of concrete is key to ensuring that the elements are kept at bay.
There are various protective coatings for concrete surfaces available on the construction market. If you have just installed a new concrete surface that you need to protect from the aggressive elements, here are some effective protective coatings you can give it.
Epoxy coatings
Generally, epoxy coatings are composed of two parts (an epoxy resin and a hardener), which are mixed prior to application. Epoxies are formulated depending upon the specific performance requirements of the substrate material. When correctly mixed and applied, epoxies form a hard, chemical-resistant and impermeable concrete finish.
In spite of their protective qualities, epoxies may require several days to cure properly. Aside from that, these concrete coatings also tend to lose adhesion when exposed to too much moisture and turn yellow under the sun's ultraviolet light.
It is important to keep in mind that the specific choice and combination of the epoxy resin and the hardener that impacts the final properties and effectiveness of the epoxy coating for a particular environment.
Polyaspartic coatings
These commercially available polymer-based coatings have been in use for concrete protection for a number of decades now. They have gained favour because of their quick setting time. As a matter of fact, some of these concrete protection coatings can be installed in less than a day, from start to finish.
Polyaspartics are impervious, so they won't transmit moisture. This means that newly-installed concrete floors should be given enough time to cure before application. This will ensure that moisture is not trapped within the flooring system. If possible, you should even test the moisture content of your concrete prior to application.
Overall, polyaspartics offer excellent resistance to abrasion and ultraviolet light. That's why they tend to be pricier than epoxies. The good thing is that the extra costs come with more durability.
Talking to a concrete contractor about your concrete protection requirements is a wonderful way to get started with your project.
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