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Concrete sealer problems

by Kay
(Ireland)

Q. I had a plain concrete slab patio put down last September.No sealer could be applied at the time because it literally rained constantly for two months and the concrete was never dry enough.Then came the winter and there was still no chance to seal it because of rain, damp,frost etc.I live in Ireland.Despite this, it was still in pretty good condition when the supplier was eventually able to apply the sealer two weeks ago. However the effect is absolutely horrible.My powdery white slabs are now a disgusting brown, grey colour,and the overall effect is extremely patchy and it's like old, shabby concrete.It was only one coat and I still haven't paid for the job.Apparently it is ordinary concrete sealer.Is there a solution to this problem?

A. You can remove the sealer with a chemical stripper, but this is a very rigorous task with broom finished concrete. You don't want to grind it off because you will lose the texture. I suppose you could then have it overlayed but that is the expensive alternative. My suggestion would be to seal it again with light gray concrete sealer. This will make it all a nice uniform color. It won't last forever and you will need to reapply as it wears off.