Washougal Patio Overlays That Stand Up to the Gorge Wind

Ice is the problem in Washougal. When the Gorge wind brings freezing rain, water that soaked into your patio during November freezes inside the concrete, expands, and pops the surface. Do that a few winters in a row and you get the scaly, pitted top layer that shows up on a lot of the older patios and steps near downtown. Salt thrown on the front steps speeds it up.

A polymer overlay that is sealed and rated for freeze-thaw keeps most of that water from getting into the slab in the first place. It also gives the steps and walkway a gritty anti-slip texture, which matters on the icy mornings when you are walking out to get the paper or down to the car.

Built for East Wind, Grit and Freezing Rain

Washougal patios take more abuse from blown dust and grit than anywhere else in Clark County. Bare concrete gets sandblasted a little every windy day. The overlay we lay down is 60 to 80 mils thick, tinted in the shade you choose, and topped with acrylic sealer, so the grit wears on a sacrificial sealer you can refresh instead of on the slab itself.

Up on Lookout Ridge and Mount Norway, newer houses have wide back patios that get full sun and full wind. A flagstone or slate stamp breaks up a large area and hides the dust between cleanings far better than smooth gray concrete. Down by the Washougal River and out toward Cape Horn, older homes tend to have narrow walkways and steep front steps, and those get the heaviest anti-slip texture we offer.

Our Patio & Outdoor Coatings System

Materials: Polymer overlay with color mixed in, acrylic sealer
Thickness: 60-80 mils
Install time: 1-2 days
Walk on it: 1-2 days after
Furniture back: about a week after
Warranty: 10 years

Freeze-thaw rated. Anti-slip.

Old River-Town Slabs, Hillside Patios and Acreage Walkways

Downtown and along Washougal River Road, 1940s to 70s homes have patios and steps that have been patched more than once. We grind off failed patches, fill cracks, and check for any slab that rocks or has dropped, because an overlay will not hold a moving slab together. On acreage east of town, long paths between house and shop are common. Washougal is roughly 25 minutes from us, just past Camas, and the wind dries a slab faster than Camas does, even down near Steamboat Landing, but it also blows dust into wet sealer, so we avoid the gusty days.

Washougal Neighborhoods We Cover

Downtown Washougal, Lookout Ridge, Mount Norway, Washougal River Road, Cape Horn

Washougal Patio Cost at $5 to $10 a Foot

A hillside patio in Washougal usually measures around 350 square feet. At our rate that comes to $1,750 on a clean, sound slab with a simple texture and about $3,500 with heavy patching and a detailed stone stamp. Front steps and a short walkway are priced by the square foot and added to the same visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the overlay crack when Washougal gets an ice storm?

The system is freeze-thaw rated, and because it is sealed, far less water gets into it to freeze. What it cannot do is stop a crack that is already moving in the slab below. If your patio has a crack that opens and closes with the seasons, that line will eventually show through, and we say so up front.

Can I put ice melt on coated front steps?

Yes, in normal amounts. The acrylic sealer handles typical deicers. Use calcium magnesium acetate or a pet-safe melt if you can, shovel first so you use less, and rinse the steps in spring. Heavy rock salt piled on for weeks is hard on any concrete surface, coated or not.

How do you keep the Gorge wind from blowing grit into a fresh patio coat?

We watch the wind forecast as closely as the rain forecast. On a gusty day we either do grinding and repairs, which do not care about dust, or we reschedule the sealer coat. Being 25 minutes from the shop makes it easy to come back the next calm morning.

We have a long path from the house to the shop out past Washougal. Can you do that too?

Yes. Walkways get the same overlay as the patio, usually with a heavier grip texture. On long runs we look at drainage along the edges, since a walkway that holds puddles will grow moss and freeze in the low spots no matter what surface it has.

How long before we can use the patio again after you finish?

Plan on the install taking one or two days, then roughly a week of cure before tables and grills go back on. Light foot traffic on a Washougal patio usually starts one or two days after our crew leaves. Cool, damp Gorge weather can stretch that week a bit longer.

Nearby Cities Where We Also Install Patio & Outdoor Coatings