Stained Concrete Overlay Problems

Don t use overlays to fix bad concrete question.

Stained concrete overlay problems.

In most decorative overlay projects surface preparation should cost more and take longer to perform then the actual overlay installation itself. This type of overlay is used to resurface concrete floors to repair small imperfections or give the concrete a new canvas that can be stained like the one to the right. Has been proudly leading the industry for over 20 years manufacturing overlays stains dyes and other products for your concrete projects. A cement based overlay or microtoppping is ideal for masking minor imperfections in existing concrete floors that a decorative stain won t hide such as discoloration or hairline cracks.

Maintenance for an acid stained concrete floor problems can also arise after application because of sealer failure or improper sealer maintenance. Creating a profile or degree of roughness of at least 6 on the international concrete repair institute icri surface preparation scale is mandatory for successful adhesion. When moisture enters the floor it seeps easily through the concrete s porous material and causes mold and rot problems below the floor while creating structural issues throughout the concrete. If your concrete patio slab or driveway has major structural problems a stamped concrete overlay will neither solve nor hide them effectively.

That concerns some of us. Moisture is a common problem for concrete floors. Neutralization unlike water based concrete stain acid stain needs to be neutralized to help form a bond with the sealer. When installing any type of overlay owners must use sealants to protect it from moisture.

Our product lines include clean prep and repair products stamp tek spray tek vivid acid stains. Thicker overlays can also level out minor dips in a floor and go up to the bottom of baseboards if there is a gap after removal of previous floor coverings. Since a non reactive stain colors the concrete by filling the concrete s pores or by creating a film that sits on the concrete s surface typical moisture related problems include flaking peeling bubbling blistering and dark spots. The most common cause of sealer failure is too much stain residue on the floor.

If used on stained concrete it could cause sealer and stained areas to pull up along with the adhesive. Curing time the curing time for fresh concrete is at least 14 days sometimes 21. The residue is very acidic. Our condominium board plans to have a decorative concrete overlay applied to our 35 year old concrete walkways which have existing cracks and many unlevel areas.