Customer Beware - FAQ

When customers have questions, we have answers. Above are some of the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits. Get your free quote today!

• Why did my installation contractor say I need to seal it every year? Guess? 

Ans #1: So he can forecast future revenue next year of this year’s installations?

Ans #2: Could it maybe be that he or she can blame your lack of sealing as the reason for the color fading, surface integrity becoming compromised? Could the installation have been flawed because of the concrete mix, temperature, water to cement ratio, sun, wind (dried too quickly), or water was added to the surface?

 These flawed processes or actions can and will impact the outcome of the concrete surface appearance, weeks, months, and even the following year, which is usually the case! Who’s a fault, is it? It's your fault, he/she says, because you didn’t seal it. 

** If you seal it every year, it turns yellow or develop a white haze, blushing, peeling, etc. What then does the contractor say as he shrugs his shoulders and says, “I’ve never seen this before; I’m not sure what happened here.”

**** Follow us around every year and look at what we see:* It happens so many times where we see issues resulting from a flawed installation, inferior products, such as surface colors being used, instead of integral color (in the concrete mix), or too much sealer was applied! 

****Surface was not properly cleaned, and mold is growing and visible under the sealer. Concrete is a living thing: it sweats, gets hot and cold, absorbs water, and dries out. To see more photos of what stamped concrete, exposed aggregate concrete should look like when it's been properly maintained, click here.

• How often should I seal my stamped concrete pool patio, driveway and walkway?

Ans: Stamped concrete should not be sealed every year with an acrylic sealer, despite what a contractor tells you. This enables them to rely on you as a revenue stream for them yearly. What they don’t tell you is after two tears of sealing issues will start to develop.

• Why is my concrete looking like it has white haze-looking areas throughout the pool deck and walkway areas?

Ans: This results when too much sealer is placed onto the concrete. This happens when a customer listens to a contractor who is thinking about his pocket and not thinking or caring about the customer's best interest. The project ends up looking terrible, and now the customers have to wait years for the sealer to burn off.

• Why is my exposed aggregate patio and stamped concrete pool deck turning yellow? 

Ans: Stamped, exposed aggregate, and conventional concrete should be sealed with a cure & seal sealer shortly after project installation. It takes about 30 days under optimal environmental conditions for concrete to achieve optimal strength (fully cured). Cure & Seal sealers are known as breathable sealers, allowing the concrete to “do its thing.” Cure & Seal sealers have plastics in them, which act as fillers and keep the pricing down, so customers are not discouraged from buying them. Cure & Seal sealers are not compatible with many other sealers, forcing those who know this to utilize cure & Seal sealers from then on. There lies the problem when you put sealer on top of sealer, causing a membrane that’s too thick to be breathable. Unbreathable sealers will delaminate, resulting in flaking, blushing, peeling, and so on! This is what stamped concrete that is properly maintained with a quality cleaning process and sealer application.

• Why does my concrete look a few weeks after a contractor sealed it? 

Ans: Cheap sealers have plastics as fillers, and that's why they are called cheap sealers! These sealers are cooked by the sun's UV rays causing the sealer to become cloudy, preventing the sunlight's ability to reflect off the acrylics in the sealer. It's like the sunlight trying to shine through a dirty window. Beware of this! The common practice is to do a Xylene wash, which melts the sealer, reducing the cloudiness for a short time, so it shiny. However, it will end up looking cloudy again in a short while. Do it right the first time and save yourself time, frustration and money! 

• How should I clean the stamped concrete surface each year in the Spring?

Ans: Do not get on it with a pressure washer. Using a pressure washer up close will erode the secondary and maybe the primary color if it was a surface color.