Concrete Care and Maintenance
Follow our easy Q and A section to ensure your concrete project looks great for many years.
Why should I reseal my patio?
Resealing your patio provides protection. It will hold the color in, keep the texture, and give it a brand new feel again.
When should I reseal my stamped concrete?
Reseal every 2 to 3 years if your patio or sidewalk is on the south side of your house and gets a lot of sun. Reseal every 3 to 5 years if it is in a shaded area.
What kind of sealer should I use?
Use an acrylic sealer. We use TK, Proline, Butterfield, or Euclid Chemicals. Do not go to Home Depot or Menard's. You will have nothing but problems. Go to a concrete supply store like Farrell Equipment, Ambrosius Supply, or Brock White Supply. Tell them you have stamped concrete and need to reseal it.
How should I reseal it?
Step 1: Clean the patio off with a pressure washer. Make sure grease, animal feces, pine sap or anything else is completely off. If you need to use a cleaner, vinegar and water works great. Otherwise, Dawn dish soap works well. If you have other cleaners, I suggest using them on a hidden piece of concrete (ie under a flower pot) to make sure it doesn’t react with the current sealer.
Step 2: After it is completely clean, wait until it is completely dry. Even the saw cuts need to be bone dry. You can use a leaf blower to assist in drying. Note: Water and sealer do not mix! It will turn milky and could result in having to strip all the sealer off. Trust me, it’s not fun.
Step 3: Check the weather! Do not attempt to use this sealer on a 95 degree day. It will “burn” the sealer on leaving roller marks because it will dry before you can evenly distribute the sealer. Do not attempt if there is a chance of rain. Also, do not attempt if there is 100% humidity in the air. To avoid a lot of weather issues, it's best to seal it in the morning hours. Once again though make sure concrete is bone dry.
Step 4: Apply sealer with a 3/4” or 1/2” nap roller pad. We use the 9 inch roller frames because they fit right into the five gallon pails of sealer. Just dip it in the sealer and roll on. Each dip of the roller should cover about a 6 foot by 6 foot area (roughly). Roll on one way then back drag the opposite way in a criss-cross method. This method provides an even application ensures you don’t miss any spots. Use a cheap foam brush to paint along the house or driveway. Anything the sealer gets on will shine.
Step 5: Pack up the sealer and leave the roller and pad right in the bucket. A five gallon pail will last you usually 2-3 reseals (400 sq. ft. patio). Do not let the sealer freeze. If you do not want a full five gallons you can get the good sealers in 1 gallon jugs, but you will probably have to order them.
How much sealer should I get?
A 5 gallon pail will cover 800-1000 sq. ft.
Can I apply to much sealer?
Yes, you can start to get a “build-up” of sealer if you reseal the concrete every other year, and you’re on the fifth or sixth time applying a coat of sealer. I would strongly recommend using Xylene instead of sealer. If you're applying too much, your concrete will lose texture and become slippery. It becomes almost like an epoxy coating, it will even turn yellowish. By using xylene it resets the sealer that is currently on the patio. Note: you cannot use xylene every time because the sealer does wear off over time.
I don’t want to reseal my concrete, but I know it needs to get done.
Call, text, or email me. My son has started a business offering pressure washing and reseal jobs, and we will take care of you. Pricing is based off square footage.
Should I seal my concrete driveway?
You can. The best thing to do is pressure wash it every spring. Do this on thd first warm day in April. Road salt is the biggest concrete killer. Removing salt every year will lengthen the life of your concrete. Sealer can help protect against salt, but salt still eats the sealer. We use a penetrating sealer to help cure the concrete within the first couple days of installation. If you want to reseal your driveway, please refer to the section above. But you should look into water based sealers (good to apply with rollers) or TK-AS 1 (apply with a sprayer).
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