6 Quick Mid-Summer Updates for Your Hardworking Hardscape

The lazy days of summer come with a catch. You want nothing more than to lounge around the yard. But having been drawn outdoors by sunny skies, you notice all the damage caused by the preceding months of much more challenging weather. With year-round exposure to extreme temperatures and severe storms, your hardscaping undergoes a tough test of endurance. Add the wear and tear of hard, daily use into the equation, and it’s no surprise that, from the driveway out front to the patio in the back, plaster and concrete elements of your property may be in need of TLC. Don’t fret! This isn’t going to take all weekend—far from it. Thanks to a suite of innovative, rapid-setting repair products from CTS Cement | Rapid Set, you can restore your hardscape to top condition, effectively and with surprising speed, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the season. Continue to find out, not only where to look for compromised plaster and concrete, but what you can do about it. Click now!

This content has been brought to you by CTS | Rapid Set. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Groom the Patio

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Groom the Patio

If your patio has seen better days, inspect the surface to determine the best course of action. Extremely deep cracks in the concrete may signal a more serious structural problem, but you're much more likely to encounter surface-level cosmetic issues. Look for staining, flaking, and crazing (shallow, spider web-like cracks). To resolve any such minor imperfections, reach for a resurfacer like Rapid Set NewCrete. An advanced hydraulic cement, NewCrete spreads easily over the existing concrete surface, self-curing to a smooth, flawless finish. Perhaps the best part? You can host a BBQ on your like-new patio the same day you apply NewCrete. It's ready for foot traffic in only two to three hours!

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Plant Your Flag

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Plant Your Flag

The sight of an American flag flying high against a background of blue sky—it inspires both awe and pride. But if the wind keeps knocking your flag off its mount, you’re likely to feel more frustrated than anything else. For a lasting, gust-proof solution, skip the bracket for a concrete-anchored flag pole. To start, dig a hole that's three times the diameter of the pole, while being deep enough to accommodate up to a third of the pole height. Next, add in several inches of gravel to promote drainage. Finally, having braced the pole in position, fill in the hole with Rapid Set Concrete Mix. Wait 15 minutes for the material to set up and in just one hour, you can raise up the flag. Project complete.

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Freshen Up Your Stucco

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Freshen Up Your Stucco

Stucco-finished garden walls protect and define planting beds, of course, but they also add their own aesthetic appeal to the landscape—so long as the stucco remains in good shape. When exposed to the elements year-round, however, stucco can only survive for so long before requiring attention and care. The wise course is to intervene as soon as possible, taking action to repair any unsightly cracks and gouges before they can invite further deterioration. With Rapid Set Stucco Patch, you can restore the beauty and promote the longevity of your garden wall all at once. Plus, you can do so in remarkably short order, because the compound accepts paint only two hours after application.

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On the Level

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On the Level

Easy to clean and impervious to moisture, tile has always made for a sensible, often stylish flooring material in the bathroom, kitchen, or entryway. Increasingly, those same qualities are even leading homeowners to incorporate tile outdoors, particularly in transitional areas like breezeways and verandas. Here, for the tile to look good and last, it must be laid over a level base. If there are dips and ridges in your slab, you have two options: Rent and labor over a concrete grinder or, much easier, use Rapid Set Concrete Leveler. As the compound spreads, it creates a new, perfectly level surface on top of which you can begin adding tile the same day, if desired, within a matter of hours.

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Revitalize Your Driveway

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Revitalize Your Driveway

Few wish to stay home on golden summer days. With jaunts to the beach, the ballpark, and the countless other venues that can be so enticing this time of year, your comings and goings in the car likely put stress on your driveway. In combination with weather exposure, vehicle traffic tends to leave concrete driveways worn and discolored. Want to revitalize the look of yours? It can be a straightforward, surprisingly quick job, thanks to CTS Rapid Set NewCrete. Simply prepare the surface of your concrete, then you can begin spreading the product in a thin layer over the old concrete. Let the NewCrete cure into a clean and pristine renewed surface. Worried about parking? Don't be. You can return to using your driveway no more than three hours later.

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Take the Next Step

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Take the Next Step

Don't ignore crumbling, chipping, or deeply cracked concrete stairs. For starters, if it's in a conspicuous location, the installation may be an eyesore, detracting from curb appeal or the look of your outdoor living area. More importantly, the trip up or down could pose a hazard, if not for you, then for guests unfamiliar with your home. Here's the good news: Rapid Set Cement All simplifies and speeds the fix. After cleaning, roughening, and saturating the area, apply Cement All by packing the material to the level and shape desired. Next, smooth the concrete with a trowel and to finish, water cure. Only an hour later, you can go back to using the stairs—and making the most of your summer.

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Don't Miss!

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If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!