As winter approaches, many homeowners in Orange County wonder if they can coat their driveway in cold weather. The answer is yes; you can coat a driveway in winter so long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Due to the deicing chemicals, constant moisture exposure, and fluctuating temperatures, Orange County’s harsh winters can take a toll on concrete or asphalt driveways. Coating your driveway can help prevent these problems.
Read on to learn more about coating your driveway in cold weather and ensuring reliable protection throughout the winter.
What Is the Ideal Temperature to Coat a Driveway?
The best time to apply coating on your driveway is when the concrete surface and environmental temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It should not also rain for the next 24 hours. You may not achieve the best results if you don’t follow these recommendations.
If the humidity is low and it doesn’t rain on the day you apply the coating, your driveway could cure in as little as five hours. However, waiting at least 24 hours before driving or parking vehicles on the driveway is best. You want to ensure that your newly coated surface has sufficient time to cure and settle.
How Coating Your Driveway in Winter Affects the Outcome
Applying the coating material in frigid temperatures can result in problems like discoloration, tracking, power steering marks, and compromised durability. When temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it can become difficult for the coating product to adhere to the concrete surface.
In colder temperatures, the binder in the coating product becomes harder, making it more difficult to fuse and create a solid film. Improper adhesion and film creation cause the coating to peel off more quickly.
Tips to Ensure Best Coating Results in Cold Weather
Implementing the following tips can help you achieve the best coating results when the weather is cold.
Eliminate Chemical Residue
During the winter, your vehicle can bring rock salts and other deicing chemicals from the roads to your driveway. Removing these chemical residues is critical before applying any coating to your concrete surface.
Water washing is a simple and cost-effective way to eliminate most salts. However, you should handle other chemicals based on their specific compositions.
Avoid Adding Solvents
Coating materials usually change in viscosity with temperature fluctuations. Colder products thicken, becoming more challenging to apply.
On the other hand, coating materials applied to extremely hot surfaces or in direct sunlight usually dry quickly. The result is poor adherence and an uninspiring finish. You may want to add water or other solvents to ease application in unfavorable temperatures.
You should resist the temptation to add solvents since manufacturers don’t have these circumstances in mind when formulating coating materials or testing their effectiveness.
Ensure the Concrete Surface Is Dry
Allow the water or moisture left on the surface by weather conditions or preparation procedures to dry before applying a coating. You want to ensure the material adheres properly to the surface.
While you can apply some solvent coating to surfaces below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, be careful during the cold weather not to apply a coating to a concrete surface with ice that will eventually thaw, negatively impacting adhesion.
Protect Your Driveway with Epoxy Time
Now that you better understand the ideal temperatures to coat a driveway, it is best to work with a professional to ensure optimal results when coating your driveway in winter. If you’re looking for a reliable concrete coating contractor in Orange County, CA, look no further than Epoxy Time.
We are a family-owned and operated business with over 20 years of industry experience and three generations of epoxy coaters. We specialize in epoxy base coats and polyaspartic topcoats for a wide range of property types.
If your concrete surface has an existing coating, we can grind the old epoxy off using a concrete grinder before applying the new coating. Our knowledgeable and experienced team strives to achieve 100% customer satisfaction with every job, so we take the time to ensure we do it right.
Our epoxy base color coat with polyaspartic top coat installations comes with a ten-year warranty. We also offer a 20-year warranty for our poly base color coat with polyaspartic top coat installations.
Get a Free Quote and Get Started Today!
Do you want to get your driveway ready for the winter months? If so, our experts at Epoxy Time can install high-quality concrete coating that provides reliable protection against cold temperatures for your concrete driveway.
Call us at (949) 468-7778 for more information about coating your driveway in winter and get a free quote.