What a quartz system is
A quartz finish isn’t paint, and it isn’t a single coat of epoxy. It’s a built-up system: the concrete is ground open, primed, coated with a pigmented resin, and then coloured quartz granules are thrown into the wet coat until it can’t hold any more — “broadcast to refusal.” A grout coat locks the quartz in place, and a clear UV-stable topcoat seals it all.
The result is a dense, textured, speckled surface. It hides the blotchy look of weathered concrete, adds grip, and is easy to sweep and hose off. In charcoal it gives a front entrance a sharp, modern look. In greys and tans it can quietly match brick, stone or siding.
Where we use it
- Front steps and landings that are structurally sound but scaled, pitted or blotchy
- Porches — including the joint between porch and steps, for one continuous surface
- Garage floors — where salty slush and hot tires are the enemy (see garage floors)
- Over fresh repairs, so rebuilt edges and patched areas disappear under one uniform finish
Why outdoor quartz needs a different topcoat
The most common reason outdoor coatings fail early is the wrong topcoat. Standard aromatic epoxy yellows and chalks in sunlight. Ottawa installers report it happening within a year or two in direct sun. Exterior systems need a polyaspartic or aliphatic polyurethane topcoat — chemistries designed to stay clear under UV.
The second most common reason is the concrete underneath. A coating mirrors what it’s stuck to. No coating can make unsound concrete structurally sound, or stop water coming through failed drainage or active cracks. That’s why every quartz job starts with a tap-test and a moisture and drainage check, and why we’ll sometimes say “repair first” or “replace instead.”
The system, layer by layer
The diagram below shows the seven layers. In order:
- Inspect and test — tap for hollow spots, check drainage and moisture.
- Diamond-grind to the profile the coating maker specifies — diamond grinding gives about CSP 2, and some quartz systems call for CSP 3–4 — so the system bonds mechanically.
- Repair — rout and fill cracks, rebuild spalled nosings, patch pits.
- Epoxy primer soaks into the ground concrete.
- Pigmented body coat sets the colour depth.
- Quartz broadcast to refusal — one or two broadcasts depending on the build.
- Grout coat locks the quartz in.
- UV-stable topcoat for colour stability, stain resistance and the final texture.
Colour families
Quartz comes in blends rather than flat colours. We work with generic colour families — charcoal, graphite and silver greys, tans and sands, salt-and-pepper, and charcoal-tan blends — and bring real samples to the site visit so you see them in daylight against your house. Explore the families below.
Weather and timing
Exterior quartz is a warm, dry-season job in Ottawa. The concrete must be dry, and air and surface temperatures must be within the products’ limits for the primer, body coat and topcoat to cure properly. We schedule exterior quartz work from late spring to early fall and confirm product temperature limits for each job.
Pricing
On steps and porches, quartz runs about $15–$25 per sq ft of treads, risers and landing. Small step jobs have a minimum charge, because grinding, edge detailing and the multi-coat schedule take the same setup regardless of size. Garage floor systems run about $8–$15 per sq ft. Repairs needed before coating are quoted separately — usually within $300–$1,500 for steps. Use the estimator and choose “Quartz resurface” for a ballpark on your entrance.