Here are some maintenance tips for our products that will help you enjoy them for a lifetime.

Precast Steps

Precast steps require almost no maintenance. Our steps are coated with a water sealer before they leave our plant. Of course, over time the waterproofing wears off and it might not be a bad idea to pressure wash the stairs and reapply a water sealer every couple of years or as desired.

Railing Maintenance

Our railings have solid posts and pickets. They are also primed and painted with a high quality exterior enamel. However, just like any other piece of your home that is exposed to the weather they will require some light maintenance. If you notice some rust on your railings, just take a piece of sandpaper and sand the rust off. Then with a spray can or brush, apply some black gloss paint. Key areas to focus on are the handrail and the bottom of the posts.
Another thing to watch out for is the shrinking of the anchoring cement. Anchoring cement has different properties than concrete and can shrink slightly over time. There is absolutely no structural concern here. The anchoring cement is approximately three times stronger than normal concrete. However, this shrinking can cause water to collect at the bottom of the posts and cause rust over time. The best thing to do is get a small amount of hydraulic cement and spread it around the bottom of the post leaving it slightly higher than the concrete surface around it to shed water away from the post.

Bulkhead Door Maintenance

We use steel doors on all of our precast bulkheads. They come with a baked-on Sherwin Williams primer finish. It is recommended that you paint the doors inside and out with a light color within 45 days of the installation. See the Bilco website for more details if you are interested. There is a sticker on the inside of the bulkhead door that will provide additional information. The only real maintenance item other than keeping the paint up is keeping the small gutter at the top of the doors clear of leaves and other debris. Just like the gutters on your house, keeping them clean helps them to function properly as well as last a lifetime.

All of the maintenance described here can be done with little effort. All of the items described are inexpensive and can be purchased at any local hardware store. If you have any further questions, or are interested in more details, just comment on this post and I will respond promptly.

Rob
Means Precast Co., Inc,.