We have a stone aggregate concrete patio and I'm considering sealing it to protect against the possibility of someone dropping a bottle of red wine on it :-( I have no idea if people typically seal them or just power hose it off if such an accident happens.
Have you sealed a concrete patio? Concrete or concrete aggregate? Did the sealer last well over the years?
Any idea which sealer is the best to use?
Kind regards, PK
Hi, You can seal them using sealant. Usually silicon based. Acrylic one is shiny when applied. Water based Silicon is not shiny. Choice is yours. My driveway is aggregated. I do it every 3 year or so for protection from element.
Im really not a fan of sealants for concrete..Im just not convinced they are worth it. But if you would like to seal it there are many products out there for this. One word of caution depending on how the aggregate was exposed (sandblasted or hosed off) the surface may already be very slick. If it was sandblasted then you have a much more rough surface to start with. If it was hosed then Im sure you know that the slightest water makes it very slick...now imagine adding a sealent to this already slick surface..guests with a few drinks in them....a recipe for disaster. When we seal stamp work we use glass beads (like used for sandblasting) to add some traction to the surface but in my opinion it is still slippery. I honestly would not wory about a stain of this nature even if it does stain the surface it can be removed with a cleaning agent of your choice. The other draw back is the sealant must be re-applied on a yearly basis so if you are looking at a large area thats quite a bit of "upkeep cost"
As an industry term it is usually refered to as "exposed aggregate". For example I have an exposed aggregate drive way or patio. I think that is what you were asking right?
PK wrote:
hi when i did mine, i tiled it with frost proof tiles & grouted, there some great tiles out there i used a mosaic. it been down now for 3 year, cleaning? presure washer, the only stain is heat from our chimnea, we bought a slab to raise it off problem solved. kayal
Thompsons water seal works AWESOME.
it seals the surface by being absorbed into the material, stone concrete etc etc. its not a coating so it doesnt make anything slick.
just prevents absorbton. treated concrete no longer absorbs rain so freezing doesnt do any damage.
best to repeat every few years, first time it will absorb a LOT, reapply dont use nearly as much.
can darken surface slightly, so try somewhere if you suspect that matters.
first application is ideally done by dumping out of can and spreading with broom, let sit overnite, it can puddle without harm and will evaporate if too much is applied.
hose off treated and untreated area.
treated the water beads, untreated it absorbs into the concrete and darkens it.
thompsons is great.
I had concrete pads I fixed every year. after thompsons no futher repairs ever needed:) this sidewalk and pads get rocksalted every winter
just reapply every few years....
All,
many thanks for your help on this.
Yes, I have exposed aggregate - poured and then hosed off to expose the stone. It looks great now but I happened to see some outside a restaurant lately that just looked awful and it made me think about sealing mine.
I'm concerned that folks pulling chairs back and forth to the table would somehow 'wear off' the sealer but that doesn't appear to be a problem given that people are coating their driveways in this stuff.
I'll look into the Thomson's sealant but I might also consider Italian's idea of going with a good cleaner once in a while rather than worrying about the upkeep of a sealer.
Many many thanks for your advice, Regards, PK
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