Concrete Sealer

About 2 years ago, I had to mix/pour a sidewalk section in front of my house. I used Quikcrete, finished it, but was too tired to seal it. It was -much- lighter in color than the old concrete.

Just today I got around to dragging out some Thompsons-type waterseal that had been in the basement for years. Brushed it on and it looked pretty good. Toned the color down as I'd hoped.

A few hours later, and it's drastically uneven and splotchy. Not acceptable.

I'm (obviously) not a serious concrete person. What might it take to seal and look decent?

Thx, Will

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man
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The stuff I used is like a varnish. I did this in my garage after laid. It still will spot with various stuff. Sealing is mostly for water penetration. Regular thompsons is just like an oil or silicone, but I have also used their wood seal that's kind of dries with a layer of material, like a paint. I don't know how this would work on cement. Seems like it would.

I would always try to add color to cement to match.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Try a second coat. The first may have just even out some spots and the second may even it out. This often happens with primer on wood so it may work here.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

+1 on that thought-- and if 2 don't get there, try 3. . . or 4.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

I'm not sure why you'd want to seal a sidewalk to begin with. Probably 99.9% of the sidewalks out there are not sealed to begin with. One downside to sealing is that it makes it slippery when wet, not a good thing for a sidewalk. And the more coats you put on the slicker it gets.

Reply to
trader4

To achieve what the OP asked about-- matching the color of aged concrete?

In northern climes you might also help yourself out on a few frosty mornings-- and, less likely, IMO , help the new concrete resist the effects of rock salt.

Most importantly- and I've only used this stuff indoors, but I *love* it. That new sealer that you roll on as soon as the concrete has set slows the curing process and eliminates messing with plastic to cover.

If sealer makes your sidewalk slippery you already ruined it. A broom finish will take a whole lot of sealer to bridge those ridges.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

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Unfortunately, I don't see a clear sealer doing that, which apparently was what Puddin found out.

Help yourself do what? Slip and fall because with the frost on the sealer it's slick?

=A0and, less likely, IMO , help the new concrete resist the

That might be true.

Nonsense. Read the directions for most of the concrete sealers and they specifically warn about it potentially making concrete slippery.

=A0A

Yes, having the underlying finish be rougher will help, but any concrete with a typical sealer is going to be more slippery that one without.

And the point is, what's the point? New concrete is almost always going to look different than adjacent sections that are old and aged. I don't see a clear sealer fixing that.' If he wants to go with a concrete stain, then maybe, but I'd think unless it's a solid type, the differences in the two sections are still going to show up. And with a solid stain, it looks like it's been painted. The usual solution is to just let it age and after a few years, the differences will diminish.

Reply to
trader4
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That should do it, and no thompsons does not make concrete slippery at all......

it will darken the concrete a little, but note when it rains the water wouldnt absorb into the concrete.

Reply to
bob haller

Parafin doesn't make concrete slippery?

...and if you don't like it, it'll start coming off in a few months anyway, usually in splotches. Thompson's is evil stuff.

Reply to
krw

Correct, and thanks.

It toned it down fine when first applied. But it didn't last.

I didn't brush it, but it's not slick. I don't think slipping is an issue.

...

True.

It can help a bunch. The stuff was near white when it set. Stuck out like a sore thumb.

I've seen sealer that toned it down to near what the old, weathered stuff looked like. But I don't even know what kind of sealer had been used. I asked the guy, but he was too busy ...

P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man

It seems rather odd that a Thompson type clear sealer would turn concrete near white. That sounds more like some kind of product that's gone bad.

A related question is what is the end game? If you put sealer on it, how long will it last before you have to do it again? And I would think sealer would just keep delaying the natural weathering process that will eventually bring the two closer, probably to the point that it's no longer an issue.

Reply to
trader4

You're not tracking. "near white when it set" means when it was mixed/poured and shortly thereafter.

P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man

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