Resilia

Resilia is a “troweled poured-in-place” overlay that installs like concrete. This means that it is mixed on-site as a granule and a glue, and while it is still a thick liquid, it is poured onto the existing concrete slab. Highly-trained artisans use a trowel to level the system and press it together for a tight, durable knit. If you’ve never seen concrete installed, think of it like pressing Rice Crispy Treats into a pan — a thick, sticky liquid-like material that’s forced into a flat sheet with pressure. Because it is poured and not installed like a tile or carpet, the end result is a seamless surface.

The system is usually cost-comparative to the upper end of paver pricing, or the lower-mid end of travertine tile decks — it is a premium product and is one of the more expensive systems available on the market. Some large-scale commercial projects qualify for lower square-foot pricing.

In residential applications under normal use, expect Resilia to last 25-30 years even in the harsh Florida outdoor climate. Surprisingly, no professional maintenance is necessary during this time, although it is recommended to keep the product looking its best. Recommended professional maintenance involves a “binder re-coat” every 8-10 years for residential applications — compare this to the recommended reseal interval for pavers of every 1.5-3 years.

The system is easy to clean. For outdoor ground-floor applications, we recommend a power-washer with up to 2,800 psi of pressure, or a pressurized hose nozzle. For surface debris, a vacuum, broom, or leaf blower works well. Bleach can be used on the product as well as most household cleaners. We give a cleaning pamphlet to all our clients. For some raised areas, such as balconies or upper-level walkways in commercial properties, power-washing is possible but not recommended (it is important to contain water runoff in these spaces). We recommend a carpet cleaner/extractor, grout cleaning machine, or a specialized rotating scrubber brush system for these spaces and can provide notes on the most recommended machine for your space.

Absolutely, and we’ve installed quite a few of them in our 16 years of business, including PebbleFlex, Flecks Systems, Polysoft, Rubaroc, SBR, various other EPDM products, and more. Resilia is by far our favorite, because of its incredible bond strength, fade resistance, mold resistance, stain resistance, chlorine resistance, its ability to stay supple in long-term high-UV exposure, and its prolonged testing in real-world projects. We highly suggest Resilia for the difficult UV and moisture environment of Florida.

Resilia rubber granules are made of a “virgin polymer”, not recycled — Resilia was created specifically for concrete overlays and this system is far more fade-resistant than recycled products. Resilia is made of a high-grade EPDM rubber granule, and there is significant difference in color fade and longevity performance between low and high-grade EPDM. The rubber granules are only half the product, however — just as important is the glue which bonds the system. For Resilia, we exclusively use the highest-grade glue on the market, called an aliphatic urethane. Aliphatic urethane, as opposed to aromatic urethane, will never turn yellow in the sun and will preserve the suppleness and lifespan of the system.

Short answer — Resilia is porous, but will not cause a mold issue for your property. This product is commonly used for submerged (constantly wet) kids’ splash pad play areas without mold issue. For decks and walkways, water is only held in the system if there is a defect in the concrete slab underneath. Standing water issues can be easily fixed before installation to remove puddles. Most outdoor surfaces are porous (to varying degrees) and porous products typically last much longer than sealed systems in humid environments. This is because in areas such as Florida, there is a large amount of water present in the ground and as it evaporates through a concrete slab, this creates hydrostatic pressure. Sealed systems must fight this pressure to avoid peeling, but porous systems work with this natural process and let water evaporate through them. Drainage with Resilia occurs exactly the same way it did before the installation of the Resilia. Rainwater passes through the product to the level of the concrete, and either evaporates or follows the pitch of the deck to the drain or off the side of the concrete slab. Sometimes, the concrete itself has issues which slow down this pitching or creates “bird baths” of still water. Superior Surfacing assesses these areas before installation and corrects them with an epoxy mortar fill.
Rubber is naturally able to resist mold penetration/staining, but we never over promise — you can accumulate mold/mildew on this system. However, this is true of any outdoor surfacing product, and even true of glass and metal. Resilia will not be a mold/mildew issue and will perform the same as other common outdoor surfaces, and much better than open systems such as unsealed concrete/pavers. If you do get a little mold, you are free to use bleach according to our cleaning handout without worry of discoloration.

Our standard thickness is a ⅜” overlay and we can bevel this system to meet flush with any adjacent surface to avoid creating a trip hazard. To do this, we rely on a keyed cut technique to bevel our system into the concrete. We do this process everyday, and we are obligated to deliver this no-trip terminating edge for commercial spaces, which have to maintain ADA/wheelchair accessibility.

We call this pool edge the coping, and we haven’t met one that isn’t compatible with Resilia. The options available depend on what type of coping you have. You can visit this link to find out more. Don’t worry — we never leave you with an unattractive terminating edge around your pool.

Yes, Resilia does fade, but not much. We specifically chose Resilia over other rubberized products due to our long-term experience monitoring color fade with this product in real-world outdoor Florida environments. The photo below shows our experienced color fade — this is a photo of a six-year-old pool deck in Southern Florida with a brand-new sample placed on it, to demonstrate the amount of color fade over this period. Richer and/or brighter colors will fade more than the lightest colors, and orange is the most prone to fading. If you elect for a binder re-coat, this process will largely bring the faded colors back close to their original color.

Resilia is literally unbeatable compared to other surfaces for non-slip performance. Wet or dry, Resilia has a ASTM non-slip rating of .99 on a scale of 0 to 1 — making it one of the most non-slip surfaces on the market. This is why rubberized overlays are used in playgrounds and underwater splash-pad kid’s play areas. If someone does manage to slip on it, the slight cushion of the surface absorbs some of the impact, making for a far greater safety performance.

Surprising statistic — over 75% of our residential clients are dog owners. The product is resistant to surface scratches (such as from dog claws) and to pet stains. Bleach cleaning is well-tolerated by this surface without risk of losing color.

No more than standard surfaces such as Spray Crete or pavers. We have never seen furniture scratching, even on our highly-trafficked commercial decks. However, always be careful to make sure your furniture feet are in good condition, without missing rubber plugs or damage. Sharp furniture feet could, in theory, damage any surface they come in contact with. You can park or leave a hot tub long-term on Resilia.

We can install over top of most current overlays without demolition. This is because Resilia is porous (won’t hold water underneath it) and flexible (able to accommodate movement underneath without cracking). Many other surfaces need to be installed directly to the concrete foundation, adding to cost and mess.

We’re honest about our products and services — our other products, although advanced and not particularly easy to install, are much easier than Resilia. Hand-leveled, troweled surfaces are extremely difficult to install — our installers are artisans. To install Resilia to the standards of high-end resorts and residences requires a skilled hand and expert knowledge of the subtleties of setup time, weather impact, etc. Read our article here to compare expert versus novice installation practices and see pictures to demonstrate the difference.

Honestly, no. Resilia is a luxury coating, and when people are shopping in this category of home furnishings, they want it exactly custom to their desires, including color. You can expect to recoup about 40% of your project investment when you sell. If you are looking to put your home on the market soon, we instead recommend our TuffCoat product. Resilia is a product you buy for your own enjoyment of your forever home.