painting/staining concrete driveway help please

[cdmariscal]

hi all,

we moved into a house w concrete driveway about 4 years ago. the driveway was a bright shiny terracota paint or stain (not sure). after about 4 years it started wearing, fading and some chipping so we decided to make it nice again. went to benjamin moore and they sold me "tuff top". i chose a nice dark brown color. this was a month ago. the guy told me i didn't need a primer. just pressure clean the driveway and paint over. i gave it 2 coats. looked great for 2 weeks. now it's chipping off everywhere!

so i go back to benjamin moore, ask for the guy. i'm told he's gone which is no surprise. new guy tells me to pressure clean off the tuff top and use a concrete stain called "bond-crete".

anyway, before i go and spend a whole bunch of cash again, i thought i'd go to home depot and get their opinion and then i thought of you guys, can you help? any ideas? yes, i drive over this every day. what's weird is that what was there before, whatever it was, lasted a good 4 years. it looked like paint w a sealer over it. someone told me to use "boat paint"? anyway, i just want something that will stick for at least afew years. i'm in florida so it's hot, tires are hot but there should be something i can use. ALSO, i rolled it on in one part of the driveway and used the paint spraying device in the other part. seems to be sticking better in the part i rolled on.

any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks,

[ransley]

Moore guarntees its product and you obviously got bad information. Contact the company they have paid me in the past for improper information. You likely had gloss oil and were likely sold Latex, it should have been sanded, now the new product has to be removed. Saying the employee is gone is no excuse, especialy at Moores prices.

[Phisherman]

Still can not understand painting concrete unless you are building a swimming pool. Outdoor paint usually means maintenance and can make a walkway as slick as ice when wet.

[cdmariscal]

It was already painted when i bought the house. so i thought it needed a fresh coat after 4 years. i realize i have to paint or stain every few years. but i want to be sure to do it right and in the way it lasts the longest. any ideas?

[nomail-nospam]

Everything comes down to cost and whether you pay now or later.

What I would do is get a hold of a reputable cement contractor and investigate the possibility of a 1-2 inch integrally pigmented overlay. It's going to hurt but could be the answer for the long haul.

Compare their pigment price/lb as opposed to the "retail" stores. I've used such pigments many times, usually only for the top inches of fresh concrete. It may be possible to resurface older concrete the same way.

HTH

P.S. If you go this route, make sure you fully document the entire operation with pictures and all. Whoever ends up buying your house next will be reassured of the value.