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Across the country, there’s a trend afoot when it comes to what people are seeking for their outdoor projects. “They want a natural look that delivers penetrating protection,” says Chris Sullivan, decorative concrete specialist for the American Society of Concrete Contractors and the vice president of sales and marketing for ChemSystems Inc. based in Houston, Texas.
This issue of blotchy and inconsistent color and gloss created by a sealer is not that uncommon. There are multiple factors that can create this appearance, but the two most common are application — how the sealer was applied — and surface — what the sealer is being applied to in regard to density and porosity.
The market for concrete sealers is vast and it seems that there is almost every imaginable way to protect and enhance concrete floors. For the purpose of this article we are going to discuss two options that involve a clear sealer.
It is widely known that the decorative concrete industry has struggled with tape issues for decades. These range from the tape tearing when overlays are being applied, or stain bleeding under the tape, to adhesive effectiveness when the tape gets wet.
A very noticeable trend with decorative concrete over the last decade is that the end users and the design community have become much better educated, not only on the types of finishes and products available, but also on how they are installed and what to expect in terms of long-term performance.
If you think clear sealers won’t affect the color of concrete, you’re right in some instances and wrong in others.
What do you think of when you hear the term "sealer maintenance"? If you are like most in the industry, the first thing that comes to mind is waxing or buffing a previously sealed interior floor. Well, with spring upon us, it’s a great time to talk about another kind of sealer maintenance – maintaining exterior stamped or textured concrete.
Is the solution to polished concrete maintenance educating the customer on proper procedures, or is it developing better sealers to provide the customer?
Sealing concrete can be frustrating! Roller marks and their cousins, "lap lines," are just two of those frustrating problems that can plague professional decorative installers.
Take a look at some of the most common myths, mistakes, and just plain wrong practices the decorative concrete industry has embraced as commonplace.
