This Snohomish raised patio, its steps and the side walkway got a Quartzite flake polyurea coating in July 2026, with every exposed edge hand-coated.
A raised patio has more surface than people think. There's the top, sure, but there are also the exposed sides where the slab meets the lawn, the steps up to the back door, and in this case a long walkway running down the side of the house. This Snohomish homeowner's concrete had all of that, and all of it had gone grey and blotchy, with white chalky patches, planter marks and staining on the steps.
In July 2026 Cascade coated the whole outdoor area with Certified Penntek polyurea in Quartzite flake. This patio coating in Snohomish covers the top, the edges, the steps and the side walkway, so the slab reads as one finished piece instead of a coated top sitting on raw concrete.
The free consultation was in late May 2026. The moisture meter read 4.1% on the patio surface. Cascade tests every slab like this before quoting, outdoor slabs included, because a patio sits on wet ground most of the year.
The white chalky patches are worth a word. That's usually efflorescence, minerals carried to the surface as moisture moves up through the concrete. Pressure washing takes the white off for a while. It comes back because the water keeps moving. A non-porous coating on top changes that.
The job ran over a few days in late July 2026, with the edges and steps getting extra hand work:
Quartzite is part of Penntek's Hybrid Terrazzo Flake System, a blend that mixes chip sizes so the finish looks more like natural stone than a uniform speckle. On this patio it reads as a light, clean grey that sits nicely next to the darker grey siding and white trim. You can see more blends on our styles and colors page.
The flake broadcast leaves a bit of texture under the topcoat, which helps when the patio is wet.
A patio takes everything. Direct sun all summer, standing water all winter, and freeze-thaw cycles in between. Typical epoxy struggles outside on two fronts. It yellows under UV, and it is rigid, so it cracks and lets go when the slab moves.
The Penntek system is built for both. The basecoat is flexible and moves with the concrete, which you can see in the Penntek Stretch Test. The topcoat carries FadeLock™, which passed a 16-hour QUV accelerated UV test and won't yellow or amber. Our article on coating patios, basements and driveways covers more outdoor details.
Snohomish backyards stay damp from fall into spring. Bare concrete soaks that up, grows green at the edges and stains wherever a planter sits. A sealed surface sheds water and hoses clean. Snohomish is covered by the same crews behind our patio and garage coatings in Everett. For another outdoor project in town, see this Snohomish walkway, patio and fire pit pad, or browse our patio floor coating projects.
Yes, when the edges are exposed concrete. Cascade hand-coats the vertical edges, stair treads and risers along with the top surface, so the whole slab matches and the raw concrete edge doesn't keep absorbing water.
Most often it's efflorescence, mineral salts carried up by moisture moving through the slab. Washing removes it for a while, but it tends to return. A moisture test at the consultation shows what's going on before any coating is planned.
The flake broadcast adds a slight texture under the topcoat, which helps underfoot when the surface is wet. Any smooth outdoor surface needs some care in the rain, and the crew can talk through texture options at your quote.
Have a patio that's showing the same signs? Book a free in-home quote or call 425-226-6085. Nicole and Sheldon will walk the concrete with you.
Here's just a few of our previous projects.
