Why Clear Epoxy Does Not Belong Outdoors
Clear epoxy is not ultraviolet stable. Put it in sunlight and it turns amber within a season or two and then softens.
Polyaspartic does not do that, which is why every outdoor slab we coat gets a polyaspartic system rather than an epoxy one.
If you have been quoted epoxy for a patio, ask the question before you sign anything.
Grip, Drainage And Detail
Anti-slip aggregate is not optional outdoors. A wet, sloped, coated slab without it is dangerous, and around a pool it is worse.
We specify the aggregate grade by use. A pool surround gets more than a covered porch does.
The coating is carried over the edge of the slab and sealed there, because an unsealed edge lets water in behind the system and lifts it from the side.
We check where water runs and where it stands. Resin will not cure a slab that holds puddles, and if that is what you have we will say so before anything else.
The Season Is Shorter Out Here
Outdoor work needs both the slab and the forecast to cooperate, so the window in Lambton County runs roughly from spring through to autumn.
We need dry concrete going in and dry weather while it cures, which means we watch the forecast and sometimes move a date.
Booking early in the season is worth doing. Spring and early summer fill up first.