IS THIS NORMAL? WILL IT GO AWAY??
These pictures were taken the day after the concrete was sealed. I am not happy with the darkness and contrast of the overall color application (i posted earlier). But also noticed these grey light blotchy areas as well.
After talking to the contracter he assured me the dark and grey colors will blend and be more mute to achieve the overall look once the concrete has time to cure. He also said that the concrete needs to absorb those blotchy areas.
Is this the case? Will the overall colors be less harsh "dirty". Its a silver integral, with medium grey color release. Aslo does the same theory apply with those mysterious dicolored blotches shown in the photo's??
He said i'll begin to see the dieffrence ina few days.
I appreciate the peace of mind. Just a couple questions. What kind of ballpark time are we talking for the colors to "move" and about how much? Also can you see the light grey blotches, which appear to be heavy on sealant? Will those subside? There the only area on the entire job that has that appearance.
Thanks for all your help.
Hello: What the concrete needs to cure is time and warmth. Normally it takes concrete 28 days to reach a proper levell of curing. That is when it is proper to seal. At 28 days it reaches a high level of strength and then very, very slowly it continues to harden and cure. All the while the colour will shift, very gradually. What will accelerate it is good dry and sunny exposure. I guess even time with rain will still work but longer. The light "blotches" can be antiqued by your contractor to blend them in better. He should know how to do that. Then when all is said and done...USE your deck, get some wear and tear happening, the variety in colour is the same you will find in natural surfaces and settings found in nature. That is what you are trying to replicate anyway. You have a nice new deck, with character, that was a combination of hard work by your contractor and design by you, unique to your space.
The saw cuts tell the tale. When you see white along a cut like that, the sealer was applied too soon to a surface that is not completely dry. Saw cuts are the last to dry. The rest of the deck looks great. Solvent wash with xylene should open that sealer up and clear out the white cloudy areas.
The saw cuts tell the tale. When you see white along a cut like that, the sealer was applied too soon to a surface that is not completely dry. Saw cuts are the last to dry. The rest of the deck looks great. Solvent wash with xylene should open that sealer up and clear out the white cloudy areas.
Alternative to xylene wash (hazardous/flammable chemical) as well as cost factor/time/effort to do so, if there are foggy/whithish areas due to sealer being applied to thick mil build or over random area where concrete may not yet have reached a full cure out ... try using either a heat gun or weed burner torch; stay about 18" away from the effected area, waving the heat gun or torch back and forth, which usually will reimulsify the sealer to the point that the foggy/whitish trapped moisture that brought this about to escape (this method works well for acrylic sealers, as well as waterborne urethanes, water based epoxies, or 100% solids epoxies). NEVER use an electric heat gun or propane weed burner torch method to clear out foggy/whitish sealer if not completely cured out if the sealer that was applied contained contained any type of hazardous/flammable/solvents ...if solvent has not evaporated COMPLETELY out of the sealer or is lingering in the air using this method has to potential to be deadly (moreso in an indoor area where solvent fumes will linger longer than in fresh/open outdoor areas; again, sufficient time must be allowed for drying/cureing of the sealer before following above procedure). Personally I prefer to try this method first before resorting to the use solvent/xylene.
hello Homeowner. The stamp job looks good and the color treatment looks good also. That being said, Maybe your expectations and that of your contractor are just not on the same page. But don't panic. Yes the colours will "move" over the next while, as your slab is very green and needs to cure. Being sealed so early will slow this process down though. When the powdered release was pressure washed off, you were left with a mottled color. This is standard. This is what adds character to stamped concrete. You seem to call it "blotchy" or "dirty", but this is the effect of a stamped, colored surface. Very rarely do you get an even tone of color, unless you use a clear liquid release. Were you given any samples of what colour schemes you wanted? Did you approve of the surface before sealing? Very hard to make changes after the fact, unless you apply a tinted sealer but I get the sense you want less contrast between the colours. Another pressure wash BEFORE sealing could have accomplished this, I don't know what you had agreed to though with your contractor. Everyone views color differently, you see one pool deck, your contractor probably has seen dozens and is used to the mottling of colours, while this is new to you.