3 Tips For Resealing Concrete
Here are 3 tips for resealing concrete directly from someone who’s been in the industry for 15 years. But why is re-sealing your concrete important?
Resealing concrete surfaces is vital for maintaining their beauty and durability. Over time, sealers wear down, losing luster and protection. Weather, traffic, and UV rays degrade sealers, exposing concrete to damage. Resealing restores the surface’s shine and enhances its aesthetic appeal. It also shields against moisture, stains, and other damage. Regular resealing extends concrete lifespan, ensuring long-term protection and vibrancy.
How Can I Tell When My Concrete Needs To Be Re-Sealed?
Homeowners can spot when concrete needs resealing by observing key signs. Fading color or dullness indicates the sealer is becoming worn-out. Water no longer beads on the surface, soaking in instead. Stains or discoloration appear more easily. Wear patterns start to form where there’s a lot of foot traffic. These patterns can also form where chairs are regularly pulled out. You’ll notice these signs when hanging out in these areas.
Expert Tips
So after re-sealing countless concrete surfaces like patios, entries, pool decks, and interior floors, here are the three most important tips I can share with you. These techniques can help out a professional as well as the Do-It-Yourselfer. Implement these into your restoration for a long lasting, beautiful concrete reseal.
1. Remove Any Damaged Sealer
This can be done by scrubbing the concrete using a rotary floor machine and a black stripper pad. By running the machine over the concrete, it will scrub off any loose sealer that might be peeling or flaking up. It also abrades, or scuffs up, the preexisting sealer. This will help the new sealer adhere to any sealer that’s left on the concrete. After abrading the concrete thoroughly pressure wash the surface. Using a gas powered pressure washer that’s at least 3,200psi or higher is recommended. This will blast off any loose sealer that the floor machine didn’t get up. It also will clean the surface and get it ready for the resealing process. Allow the concrete to dry out for a day or two before resealing.
2. Apply A Sealer That Bonds Well To Inorganic Material
Most sealers are meant to be applied to porous surfaces. But if the concrete has already been sealed it’s no longer porous. This can inhibit the bonding of the new sealer, causing it to flake up over time. There are sealers on the market that bond to inorganic material like old sealers. I’ve used most of these products with mixed results. The sealer I use for my clients is called Versatec Nano-Quartz sealer. It’s pretty simple to use. You can roll, spray, or flat micro fiber mop it on. This stuff will bond to practically anything and won’t flake up over time like most other sealers will.
3. Add Tint To Re-Color The Concrete
This is something most contractors know nothing about. You can add a semi-transparent tint into certain sealers. This will pigment the sealer and enhance the color of the concrete it’s applied to. For example, this will bring the color of the concrete back to it’s original vibrancy. Concrete Chemistries makes a tint called Color Prime that can be added directly into the Versatec sealer. This stuff works wonders and often makes the concrete look better than it did originally!
Conclusion
In conclusion, use these 3 tips for resealing concrete for guaranteed success. These tips took me years to figure out and have now made my company the leader in our area for the re-sealing niche. Check out the video below showing the three tips in action and good luck on your project!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0hEZOHWQY
