Clean-Coat provides concrete sealing of walkways, driveways, exposed aggregate, broom-finished, and stamped concrete to protect these vulnerable exterior surfaces, increase their lifespan, and reduce the need for repair and replacement costs in the long run.
WHY SEAL EXPOSED AGGREGATE CONCRETE?
Sealing helps to preserve the cement binder, extending the lifespan of driveways, walkways, and patios. This type of concrete is beautiful, but requires more cleaning, coating maintenance. This is because when first poured, contractors use water and sometimes pressure to rinse away part of the cement binder before it cures – exposing the aggregate or decorative rocks in the concrete mix. By the very nature of this process the cured concrete will have a dramatically reduced life-span. The concrete is essential pre-deteriorated the day it was poured.
To offset the early aging of this decorative finish, Clean-Coat applies a high quality commercial grade, xylene-based, clear acrylic sealer with UV inhibitors. Here’s what that means: the xylene and acrylic sealer seep deep into the porous exposed aggregate concrete. The xylene carrier then evaporates, allowing the acrylic sealer to penetrate and fill the concrete pores. Some of the acrylic also dries on the surface – giving the exposed aggregate a decorative sheen.
WHY SEAL STAMPED CONCRETE?
Stamped concrete is already sensitive to auto, pet, and foot traffic. It is also extremely sensitive to damage caused by the sun’s UV rays. It’s important to coat your stamped concrete with a high quality, protective acrylic sealer with a UV inhibitor to specifically protect against damage from sunlight. Without this protective coating the stain on your concrete will fade quickly. Correctly re-staining usually requires stripping any residual sealer to open the pores of the concrete in order to re-stain and re-seal.