Lowering energy needs helps to reduce homeowner costs and strain on the environment. Utilizing concrete over other materials already improves efficiency significantly due to its thermal properties. Concrete acts as a heat sink, trapping heat during the day and cooling down the air until it’s released later in the night. This keeps the material cooler at the height of summer and warmer in the dead of winter. Though on its own, concrete may not necessarily be the answer to your problems. Its thermal retention properties may inadvertently make it hotter to the touch.
Here at Fresco Decks, we want to ensure you’re making the right choices for your backyard, so we’ve compiled six methods for increasing energy efficiency while making stylish, low-maintenance choices for your outdoor space.
1. Lighter colors help reflect heat away from your concrete pool deck.
While concrete’s natural ability to trap heat during hours of peak sunlight may help with cultivating a cooling backyard breeze, it doesn’t always feel great on your toes. Opting for lighter colors, such as a sandy tan or a light stone gray, prevents heat from accumulating, utilizing the best of concrete’s thermal sink ability without sacrificing your comfort. The reflective qualities of lighter-toned concrete make a sizable difference in the quality of your outdoor enjoyment. It helps to reduce costs by naturally reflecting heat away from your space, relieving the workload for your property’s fans and cooling systems. This makes it the perfect choice for the Arizona backyard deck, patio, and walkway.
2. Acrylic coatings do more than decorate your backyard.
Acrylic concrete coatings have a wide range of uses as they extend your concrete’s lifespan, protect against cracks, chips, and dents, and provide endless possibilities for design creativity. They also play an important role in keeping your backyard cooler. Acrylic coatings absorb less heat than standard, untreated concrete, making them the premier option for homeowners looking to make the most out of their concrete installation or renovation. Acrylic coatings come in various textures, as well, and more textured coatings provide more surface area for your concrete deck, allowing heat to dissipate more easily.
3. Keep cool underfoot with cool deck technology.
Cool deck installations can radically improve the temperature of your concrete surfaces, withstand the wear-and-tear associated with heat expansion and contraction, and prevent water damage–all in one swoop! A type of acrylic coating, cool deck technology reduces the need for additional cooling systems, improving the overhead associated with keeping your pool deck cool while also minimizing maintenance. Applying acrylic coatings helps reduce the time and money homeowners have to spend on keeping their backyard cool. It’s important to note that cool deck installation is best performed by acrylic professionals. Experts have noted that due to the cool deck coating’s tendency to dry very quickly mid-coat, it should be applied by two or more people at once.
4. Strategize your concrete walkways to maximize efficiency.
Well-thought-out hardscaping can radically change the way you experience your backyard. Creating concrete pathways that best direct airflow or retaining walls that shield your space from hot air blowing in are excellent ways to design a backyard that best suits your energy consumption needs. Combining a beautiful, structured backyard with functional concrete paths and walls that cultivate a cooling breeze is the ticket to success this summer. A well-designed backyard naturally saves you money, ensuring your backyard isn’t unusable by late June without incurring heavy energy costs.
5. Porous pavers mean you can put away the hose.
Reducing watering costs helps factor into energy efficiency as well. Opting for porous concrete pavers allows for rainwater to seep through the material and into the ground below, replenishing groundwater and helping keep your sprinkler costs down. What does this mean for you as a homeowner? You get to enjoy your space with minimal upkeep and lower overhead than you would usually expect! Concrete pavers come in all ranges of sizes, shapes, colors, and styles, making them a highly functional and quite beautiful addition to your backyard.
6. Let your landscaping cool the way to the pool deck.
Like hardscaping, landscaping can also affect the way heat travels through your space. Effective integration of native plants and landscaping can reduce your irrigation needs, lowering your energy consumption and creating a more efficient backyard. Utilizing landscaping techniques to create natural shade can reduce energy costs. While a properly installed concrete fixture can go a long way to keep energy costs low, thinking about the terrain and biodiversity of your backyard can take it the extra step.
These 6 tips, tricks, and technologies all work to help save you extra money for cooling, while also helping to make your carbon footprint a little smaller. A well-maintained and designed backyard tells potential buyers down the line that you put care into your space. The return on investment becomes clear not just for you as a homeowner but also for potential buyers, making your space more valuable and desirable. Investing in cool deck acrylic coatings now will create great returns in the future.
Consulting professional, experienced contractors is a crucial part of this process. Arizona installation experts understand the best approach for your concrete project, understand the material and its associated processes, and have the tools to make sure you succeed with your backyard renovation. If you’re thinking of renovating, installing cool deck technology, or updating other parts of your backyard, talk to a professional to make sure they can maximize the energy efficiency of your concrete pool deck.