While concrete is an easy material to maintain for your stairs, driveways, patios, and other common areas, it is not fail-safe. You might still contend with various issues time and again that affect the look and functionality of your concrete surfaces. Scaling, cracks, and settling are the common issues that will affect the functionality of a concrete surface. While these are all property owners focused on and got recourse for in the past, people are now concerned about the aesthetics of their structures.
Nowadays, most people call concrete repair experts for discoloration in their Ogden properties. They, after all, will spend a lot to get their desired concrete color and it is essential to keep it looking as it should. Water, inconsistent concrete mixtures, poor workmanship, the use of low-quality materials, and environmental elements are some of the aspects that contribute to concrete discoloration. You need not live with discolored concrete surfaces thinking you have little recourse for the same. Here are the solutions for discolored concrete.
Flushing and Scrubbing
This is the simplest solution for concrete discoloration and is used for mild issues of the same. The concrete slab is initially flooded using hot water then scrubbed vigorously using a hard brush. The process will be repeated severally to get rid of the grime and dirt causing the discoloration and allow your surface to ‘’breathe’’ as the water evaporates. The breathing will allow the even distribution of moisture in your concrete and get rid of the mineral accumulation responsible for most cases of mild discoloration.
Acid Washing
This is used for severe discoloration that will not disappear after several sessions of washing. Acid washing involves the use of a mild muriatic acid solution to wash your concrete. In most cases, experts start with 1% acid solutions then increase the concentration depending on the results. They nonetheless will not use solutions with concentrations of above 5% of acid since these might mar the surfaces. Moreover, the concrete will be flooded beforehand to avert the risk of the acid penetrating the surface layer.
Concrete Staining
This is handled just like you would stain a wooden surface. A roller or paintbrush will be used to apply a concrete staining product. The process generally starts with the application of a stain that is 2-3 times shades lighter than your desired result. This is because it will be easy to darken the stain if it is too light but impossible to lighten it.
Tinted Sealing
This is an ideal choice if your concrete surface has imperfections along with the discoloration. Tinted sealing hides imperfections in wide and open areas that have slight discoloration since its translucent topcoats have some streaking and blotching properties. It is often used with a coat of concrete stain so that your layers are blended.
The above solutions seem easy enough for any DIYer but do not let these tidbits fool you. There are several steps involved in their use and different tests to ascertain their benefits for your discolored concrete. It is thus not only inexpensive but also prudent to get a professional to handle them if you want the best possible results.
