Sealing stamped concrete is a service offered by Windy City Steam. This stamped concrete patio was definitely due for a good coat of a high quality acrylic sealer. When your stamped concrete begins to look dull and seems to have lost it’s sheen is when you are due for a re-seal. When you hire Windy City Steam to clean & seal your stamped concrete, we first pressure wash the surface. This ensures that no soil is left behind to be sealed to the concrete’s surface.
After a good pressure wash, we allow the concrete to fully dry out. You can’t put an acrylic sealer on a wet surface because the acrylic concrete sealer is never to be mixed with water. It says clearly on the label of any brand of sealer to never mix with water. Even if you wanted to thin the product, you couldn’t do so with water. You would have to thin it using xylene or something else solvent based as the sealer you use on your decorative concrete should be solvent based. I’ve never applied a water based sealer that I was happy with, and in the case of a pricey decorative concrete structure you want to be sure that you are maintaining it properly.
If you are noticing your concrete is looking dull, or even beginning to “pop” and “spall” in areas, be sure to have it professionally sealed before it’s too late. Sealing your stamped concrete makes it look great, but the real reason to seal it to protect against any “popping” due to harsh winters or salt. The layer of protection ensures your stamped concrete patio is always guarded against whatever mother nature decides to throw at us during the season we are currently in. If you would like to book Windy City Steam for sealing your decorative, or traditional concrete structure, you can get more info on our website:
