Chris Sullivan Concrete Decor

Author: Chris Sullivan

What Causes Hot-tire Pickup on Stamped Concrete?

Concrete Coatings Stamping & Texturing Concrete Vol. 14 No. 6 - August/September 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

The issue of car tires pulling sealer from concrete is known as “hot-tire pickup.” The initial conclusion most people make when they hear “hot-tire pickup” is that a hot tire is melting the sealer and causing it to peel off the concrete.

a stamped concrete patio with sealer on it

What’s The Best Way to Strip Sealers from Stamped Concrete?

Concrete Repair & Restoration Stamping & Texturing Concrete Concrete Sealers Vol. 14 No. 5 - July 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

Question: How do I strip sealer from my stamped concrete patio? The installer used color hardener. Will I lose the color off the top when I strip?

How Did the Extreme Winter Affect Exterior Decorative Concrete?

Stamping & Texturing Concrete Business & Technology Vol. 14 No. 4 - May/June 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

Large parts of the United States recently experienced a brutal winter of cold temperatures and record snow and ice accumulations.

How Can You Minimize Sealer Slipperiness on Concrete?

Concrete Coatings Concrete Sealers Safety Vol. 14 No. 3 - April 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

Using grit additives has become the most common method for reducing slipperiness when sealing decorative concrete flatwork on exterior walking surfaces. The grit additives are mixed into the sealer, then the gritty sealer is applied to the concrete. However, in this situation the weather was too cold to reseal the concrete. So another method needs to be used until springtime arrives and temperatures rise.

How Do You Fix a Stamped Concrete “Patchwork Quilt”?

Stamping & Texturing Concrete Vol. 14 No. 2 - February/March 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

Popular Concrete Decor columnist Chris Sullivan explores ways to fix a stamped concrete job that came out looking like a patchwork quilt

Why is My Concrete Deck Failing Where It’s Exposed to the Elements?

Tips & How-Tos Concrete Overlays & Toppings Vol. 14 No. 1 - January 2014 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

I have an exterior raised wooden deck that has a cement-based overlay applied to the top. The area that is under roof is fine, but the area that is outside is failing.

How Do I Fix Flaws in Poorly Stamped Concrete?

Stamping & Texturing Concrete Vol. 13 No. 8 - November/December 2013 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

Concrete is unforgiving. Surface defects and poor workmanship issues on stamped and textured concrete are difficult to repair, and in many cases there are no viable repair options.

The Acid Stain Looked Good at First… What Went Wrong?

Staining & Coloring Concrete Vol. 13 No. 7 - October 2013 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

We then washed the floor with soap and water and removed almost all of the color. The floor now looks spotty and ugly. Why did all the color come off, and what can I do to make it look like it did before I cleaned the floor?

Why Is My Integrally Colored Concrete the Wrong Color?

Staining & Coloring Concrete Vol. 13 No. 6 - August/September 2013 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

We just had a large stamped concrete patio completed, and we chose a light buff integral color with dark tan release powder. The resulting color of the concrete surface looks entirely different from the color we chose — it’s more like an antique rose color.

Can You Make Cracked Concrete Overlay-Friendly?

Concrete Overlays & Toppings Vol. 13 No. 5 - July 2013 by Chris Sullivan Comments are Disabled

What caused the crack? And what are the options for dealing with it, since we are going to apply a decorative overlay on the concrete? We talked to multiple contractors about our options, and there are a lot of opinions out there. Chris Sullivan gives several options on how to solve this common problem.