Decorative Concrete Maintenance

The growth of the decorative concrete industry in recent years has allowed contractors to challenge their creativity with a huge array of new designs, colors, textures and techniques. But after the job is done, maintaining that dazzling, just-completed look is often overlooked.

Cleaning and resealing an old job isn’t nearly as interesting as creating a new design, and it’s less profitable too.

However, industry experts say contractors are missing a great opportunity. Making sure decorative concrete looks fresh for years to come can bring a number of benefits — satisfied customers, repeat business and a new profit center, to name a few.

Clients appreciate a contractor who can not only work wonders with concrete, but can also help them keep their patio, deck or driveway looking impressive. New products are available to handle almost any maintenance situation, even ones that initially look impossible.

Routine maintenance is fairly straightforward. The No. 1 priority is to make sure the surface is clean and dry before it is resealed. Most decorative surfaces can be cleaned with water and a mild cleaner. Scott Balch, a ConcreteScience contractor in Dallas, uses pressure washing, extraction cleaning or both. “Acrylic sealers are more forgiving when it becomes time to reapply,” he says. “Most situations require only the cleaning of the surface and the application of the new acrylic sealer.”

Julio Hallack, a concrete restoration specialist based in Turlock, Calif., says many people use cleaning chemicals that are too powerful and eat away the concrete. Don’t use ammonia, he says, and Simple Green should be used only if it is diluted with 20 parts water.

“You want to use something really, really mild,” he says. “There’s no need to go in with a heavy-duty detergent.”

Through his business, Concrete Innovations by Hallack, he offers his clients simple rules for dealing with stained concrete floors: Dust mop every day and wash with cold water and a mild, diluted citrus cleaner once a week. “If people follow these simple recommendations they may need to reseal their floors in two to three years.”

The two- to three-year resealing schedule is also recommended for stamped and colored concrete, depending of course on the kind of traffic and wear it is exposed to. “If you wait longer, you may notice the color fade slightly,” he says. “But just like waxing a car, reseal your stamped concrete and the color will be as vibrant as the day it was installed.”

Light commercial floors may need resealing every six months, and heavy-duty commercial floors, in supermarkets for example, are stripped, buffed and resealed with water-based products every week, Hallack says.

Cleaning is the first and most important step to any concrete maintenance program, but the next step — making sure the concrete is dry — takes patience.

“Contractors are guilty of rushing in and trying to put sealers on before the floors are dry. They trap moisture and it’s a big mistake,” Hallack says. “Floors need to be dry 100 percent.” Hallack recently let a floor dry for two complete days, then did a moisture test before he started resealing.

Dealing with problem areas
When contractors face mildew stains, sun damage, or just particularly stubborn dirt, they may need to dig deeper into their bag of tricks to come up with a solution.

Contractors can choose from a range of products and techniques for cleaning and maintaining problem areas on decorative concrete, says Scott Buscher, marketing director for Prosoco Inc., a custom formulator of specialty cleaners and protective treatments for masonry and concrete.

Balch uses a more aggressive cleaner and a hand-held nylon brush for small areas and low-speed buffers with scrubbing pads for large areas. “Stains normally just require more elbow grease,” he says.

Chemist Mark Granados of Surtec Inc., which manufactures sealers, cleaners and specialty maintenance products in Tracy, Calif., recommends inspecting for water damage. If materials such as leaves or firewood have been left on a patio for a long time, moisture could be trapped underneath. Moisture problems must be fixed before new sealer can be applied.