We have a concrete porch had become stained over 35 years. Three months ago we applied hardware store "concrete cleaner" then scrubbed with a brush and rinsed with a garden hose. That procedure removed 3/4 of the stains, but now the concrete is continually "shedding" grit under foot traffic.
Did we overdo cleaning and is it deteriorating? What is the remedy?
Eh, like science says, "For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction." Hard to escape science.
Overall, methinks you're OK since most poured concrete-pad projects toend to be fairly thick -- way too thick to have your home stain-cleaning project make a srious dent in the pad, no matter how much "deterioration" you or your guests are feeling underfoot.
But really, if nobody mentioned in all of 35 years that your porch looked crappy enough to affect propery values along the rest of the street, why did you think it needed fixing up and making it feel all gritty underfoot now? Especially since you were only able to get 3/4 of the stains out as it is?
Come to think of it, nevermind. Some guys would just try to hide it all under redneck grass (a.k.a Astroturf). Depending on where you live, this may still be an acceptable option. Or not.
AJS
Of course you did.
And it may continue to do so. Check into concrete finishes. There are quite few on the market, ranging from epoxy two part paints to proprietary finsihes sutable for fork truck traffic. Do some research, check the budget and then decide what works best for you. HTH
Joe
It sounds as if you must have used a cleaner with muriatic acid in it. Normally, a good water rinse will stop that action. On the very remote possibility that it is still active, make up a baking soda wash. This would definitely stop the acid.
Look into concrete sealers. This is not a job for Thompson's waterseal. There are several good commercial products available. There is some good information at:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG
Three questions:
Someone wondered why we tried to clean it up. It was slippery in spots when wet. Concrete cleaner seemed like the thing to buy from our local hardware store, and we used it according to directions, but had no idea it would be so harsh.
I recommend a 2-part epoxy coating -- This should cure your problem for years to come -- Look for a product that is designed to be non-slip -- What kind of square footage are we talking about?
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