I have a variance in the sheen of my sealer in places, should I apply a third coat?

Ask a Pro

---

 

   Q. -  I just put 2 coats of sealer (clear shield advanced from concrete camouflage) on my floor last night. When i checked it this morning you can still see a variance in the sheen it a few places. Do you recommend a third coat or will the wax take care of this? BTW the artist grade concrete stain by concrete camouflage did a great job on the acid etched floor. Thank you.

 

Hello Bob,

 

   I would go ahead with another coat of sealer to smooth it out, before applying the wax. The wax may take care of it, but if it doesn't then you'd be removing the wax and applying more sealer anyway.

   However, if you don't have enough sealer to do a third coat, you should do a test before ordering more. You can put a two foot square section of wax down, that half of it covers a smoothed out part and half of it covers a lower sheen part. If it works out then you can go ahead and apply your wax. If it doesn't work and you see you'll need to apply more sealer, then strip off the wax with Simple Green and go forward with your third coat of sealer.

 

   Tip: Now that we're in Summer time heat, it's important to remember that the sealer will try to dry faster which can cause sheen variance and/or roller marks much more easily. Therefore, try to do all sealing in the cooler part of the day, and preferably in shade, if possible. Early morning is really the best because the concrete isn't heated up from the day, as it's had all night to cool off.

 

   Also, thank you for the report on the artist grade concrete stain working well on your floor, which had been previously acid etched. While acid washing or acid etching concrete renders standard grade concrete stains useless and unable to work, it's nice to hear the Artist Grade Concrete Acid Stain by Concrete Camouflage is still doing the job that the others can't.

 

I hope this helps.

 

My floor looks cloudy after I waxed it, what went wrong?

Ask a Pro

---

 

   Q. -  I recently resealed and waxed my floors with Concrete Camouflage concrete sealer and floor wax. I applied the sealant (2 coats) based on the instructions. I then waited about 12-14 hours until beginning to wax.  The floor was completely dry and no issues that I could see. I put one coat of wax on the floor. After about 8 hours, we checked on the floor. In the right light and right angle, it had an extremely cloudy look to it. However, its not cloudy all over.  There are some spots where it looks perfect.  As we talked and moved around the house, it seemed like the cloudiness was moving across the floor?  The more places we looked, the more it cropped up?

   Can you fathom what I could've done wrong? Any assistance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hello Luke,

 

   A. -  It sounds like the sealer may have not cured enough before you applied the coat of wax, which allowed moisture from the wax to penetrate the sealers surface and make it cloudy.

 

   You should first give it a day or so to see if the moisture escapes and the problem corrects itself. If it does, then you can apply your second coat of wax.

   If it doesn't clear up in a couple (low humidity and warm) days, then the wax is preventing the moisture from wicking out and escaping, meaning you will need to strip the wax (Simple Green works well) and then let it sit for a couple days or so. The Clear Shield Advanced concrete sealer by Concrete Camouflage will allow the moisture to wick through and escape. Once it does, then you can re-apply the wax.

 

I hope this helps

 

Will the acid stain still work on an Acid Etched Floor?

Ask a Pro

---

 

   Q. -  If my floor has been acid etched can I still stain it.

 

Hello Bob,

 

   A. -  Not with a standard grade acid stain. However, the Artist Grade from Concrete Camouflage is very successful at staining acid etched floors, when all the others can't, though it won't be as rich of a color as it would have been. You should order an 8 oz bottle and test it in a closet or out of the way place.

 

   Apply the stain and allow it to dry and sit for 24 hours. Easily neutralize and rinse it off. If you want the color darker, then after it dries apply another coat as before.

 

I hope this helps

 

I have flaking sealer and faded areas on some old stamped concrete. How can I fix it?

Ask a Pro

---

   Q. -   I have a Large area of Stamped Concrete, Grey in color around my pool.  It is about 10 years old.  I have sealed it every other year.  It is starting to pit / flake in certain areas and the color is very faded.  What product should I use to paint or stain it to give it a fresh look.  Thank you

Hello Michael,

   If it's the sealer that is flaking off, then what appears to be faded concrete color may simply be an unsealed surface that would come back to life once the sealer was re-applied. Check out our article on concrete sealer problems for a full walk through.