You've invested in a beautiful stamped concrete patio or pool deck, which has added value to your property and enhanced your outdoor living experience. Maintaining that original beauty includes keeping it protected from everyday foot traffic and overall wear, extreme weather conditions, and harmful pollutants. The way you can protect your stamped concrete is to reseal it to bring it back to its original beauty. But, how can you tell if your concrete needs to be resealed?
Typically, your stamped concrete should be resealed every two or three years. The frequency depends on whether or not the weather has been extremely harsh, how much traffic and use it's been getting, and if there's been damage to the surface from chemicals or other harmful elements.
First, Give Your Concrete a Good Cleaning
Hose off your stamped concrete patio, pool deck, or outdoor living area and allow it to dry completely. Once it's completely dry, use any of these three methods to determine whether or not it's time to reseal:
1. The Water Test
Using a sealer prevents water from penetrating into the surface of your concrete which can cause your concrete to deteriorate over time. You can determine if your concrete needs resealing by dropping some water on your concrete surface of your clean, dry concrete. The water should bead up if your sealer is still doing its job. If the water has been absorbed into the concrete, it’s time to reseal.
2. What's Your Angle?
Sometimes it's good to look at a situation from a new angle. If the surface of your stamped concrete has lost its sheen, it may be time to reseal. If the surface still has some reflective qualities, it's a sign that your sealer is probably still doing its job and can probably wait until the following year to reseal.
3. Looking a Little Rough Lately?
If the surface of your stamped concrete looks rough, flaky, or has off-white or gray colored areas, this indicates that your sealer has lost its effectiveness. Resealing your concrete will bring it back to its original luster. If your concrete shows signs of significant deterioration, it may need to be patched, recolored, or in extreme cases, resurfaced. Our professional masons will inspect your stamped concrete to determine the best course of action to bring it back to life.
Conclusion
With proper maintenance, your stamped concrete will provide a stunning backdrop for your outdoor living areas for many years. For resealing projects to your existing concrete, you can rely on CONCRETE DOC+, a division of Gruttadaurio Masonry, specializing in concrete resealing, resurfacing, and restoring. For NEW concrete projects, call the stamped concrete experts at Gruttadaurio Masonry. Call (315) 310-7193 to reach either of our businesses.