Best Sealer practices

Basic Sealers on Exposed Aggregate Surfaces

One of the most required maintenance items around a home is driveways. Exposed aggregate is one of the worst offenders in that it is a compromised surface with up to half the concrete binder washed away to expose the rocks. This means that it will weaken over time and weather and lose the rocks creating unsightly holes in the surface and eventually crumble. Fast Finish provides three excellent sealing options to limit this problem. The first is a penetrating sealer that is hydrophobic and seals the pores so that expansion and contraction limit its effect from water and keep moss and mold away from deteriorating the joints. The second is a film-forming two-part sealer that encases the rock like an epoxy that strengthens it and  gives a gloss finish. Clients in the Salem Oregon and surrounding areas have had great success with high five star ratings in reviews and feedback from having Fast Finish seal their flat concrete surfaces with the two options.

 

Epoxy Vs. Polyurea Garage coatings

With more and more companies utilizing polyurea as the base coat for flaked floors, it is important to understand the reason behind the choice as an installer over epoxy. Here is what we have found after utilizing both mediums.  The pros and cons of both should be considered for your next install as a customer or qualified installer. As a licensed installer, that has the resources, we have found that the costs, ( at least at the time of this writing) is nominal. We get a little better price per gallo on epoxy, mostly due to quatity. Many will say that epoxy is the cheaper of the two, but we have found that only to be true of box store epoxy, not the high grade industrial epoxies we utilize. I also think that is a sales pitch as an upsell. The cost is withing 3-5% in reality over basic materials and dead even when it comes to vapor barrier rated epoxies.  One characteristic of polyurea that we love is that it is UV stable and less likely to discolor or fade in sun prone areas of applications. That in itself migt be the main reason for client choice...however with a polyurea topcoat over epoxy base there is another advantage that deserves additional consideration. In moisture prone areas of concrete, polyurea needs additional vapor barrier rated primer coat to provide a coating that wont be prone to delamination. This can drive up costs considerably. Polyurea base coats also cure much faster, which is also a con in some instances where you want more penetration into the concrete rather than relying on full adhesion to the substrate.  Sometimes a combination is better served for the most durability. A licensed and trained professional installer will go beyond the easy one day floor pitch that polyurea can provide and should be able to offere both and recommend the best option based on your floors need. One size rarely fits all when it comes to polyurea vs. Epoxy.

Illahee Hills Clean & Seal of driveways

It is that time of year to get those driveways, Patios and Walkways cleaned and sealed before another summer rolls by. Often times we get so busy that it gets to be to late in the year to get it done once the rain comes back.  Fast Finish has been restoring, sealing stamped concrete, Exposed Aggregate and concrete pavers in The Illahee Hills area for the last seven years with great results. There are several new sealer options with lower maintenance and longer life than ever before not found locally. Call Fast Finish and schedule their clean and seal special for this community.

Sealers and Coatings on concrete

A contractor who takes on a stripping job is, by definition, already dealing with an unhappy customer as “You’re solving somebody’s problem, which means you’re in the middle of a negative situation instead of a positive one. If there’s ever a time for expectation management, it’s stripping and resealing.”

Take care of this problem in the testing phase, particularly if restaining or resealing is involved. Testing only one area encourages the false impression that every other spot will turn out exactly the same way, .So do two or three areas. You’ll likely end up with two or three different shades. “Have the client settle for a range, instead of a single sample,” when stripping sealers.

Also, test the most difficult spot on the floor, not one that seems to be average.Estimate on the most difficult areas, the job can only go better than expected or Chances are, that you may just make the job worse.”

Bad Concrete Finish Fixes

What to do with bad concrete coatings.

In the Pacific Northwest there is a ton of different concrete finishes being used in the industry. Many have performed well under the duress of constant weather and environmental changes.That said, there are more that have failed or have become unsightly than have lasted to a satisfactory level of enjoyment. Having the proper maintenance program for concrete cleaning and sealing becomes a high priority if the desired outcome is aesthetic durability and beauty.

A licensed contractor does not mean they are up to date on the best sealers, stains and coatings. Fast finish provides an in depth evaluation that goes beyond the standard one size fits all or in this case one coating or sealer works in every case. Having a broader product and applications background enables Fast Finish to provide a better solution than what most contractors offer. 

Another overlooked area regarding sealers and coatings is the short window in Oregon for application. Booking and planning in advance for the following season is usually the best approach and does not leave you with a run of the mill finish that is often provided in the area. 

Paints vs.Stains

 First thing to know-

 Water-based stains can adhere to water or oil-based coatings already present on the wooden surface. Water-based stains can be cleaned up with water.

Oil-based stains will only adhere to wood previously stained with an oil-based product. 

So which one is the best? The answer is not as simple as one over the other, but the conditions and exposure of the surface that determines the best application.

When dealing with wood decks, you have to consider it's direct exposure or enclosure of the wood. paints are coatings and they do not penetrate the substrate like stains. they are a thin adhesive film that can wear down or off over time. Stains penetrate into the surface and also condition the wood. The airflow beneath a deck can also be a big factor. A deck that can absorb moisture can rot quicker. If water can constantly sit on the surface, then stain is better than paint. In damp moisture prone climates wood will be absorbed under the paint and trap in the moisture and rot. If the deck is enclosed, paint will provide a more uniform appearance to the surface. 

The same can be said for sealers and coatings for concrete. Coatings float on top whereas sealers actually penetrate. The coatings are more eye appealing but require heavier maintenance long term. sealers penetrate the pores rather than covering them and relying on the adhesive nature of a coating to protect the finish....

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Sealers - what you need to know

It is that time of year once again! Pressure wash that driveway, patio and sidewalk. But dont stop there, and forget to seal it afterwards. Why go through all the work then leave that clean exposed aggregate or concrete unprotected? That exposed surface is now more-vulnerable than when the oil and dirt were on it. But what sealer is best?  There are a couple things to consider. Looks and longevity are usually at the top of the list. What most people dont know is that most who want that nice shiny sheen on their exposed  aggregate sacrifice longevity. There is no way around it. In order to get that look, acrylics are used in the mixture. Acrylics are not sealers! Acrylics are coatings. The Difference between a coating and a sealer is the penetration they have to the surface. Acrylics have either a water or solvent base as a carrier. The thinner the mix or percentage of acrylic to the carrier the more penetration it has. Acrylics need a build up on the surface to create the sheen. 25-30% acrylic is typically standard to achieve that desired result. So everything is coated and looks great, but the catch is coming. In Oregon and high moisture, rain fall or humidity states, moisture gets trapped underneath these coatings. Coatings do not breath and trap thst moisture. The result is white haze, premature failure, flaking an chipping in some extreme cases. The fixes are only temporary at best. The coatings also need to be re freshed every couple years to maintain the desired shine as well. This is evident by areas that are less exposed to the elements under the eves and shaded areas.

Sealers on the other hand, penetrate into the pores and create a vapor type barrier but allows moisture to escape, depending on the carrier types. You can even attain a moderate sheen but nothing like acrylic coatings. The sealers also come solvent and water based as well and have a much longer wear life if they are not just topical in nature. Coatings and sealers both have their place. It is good to understand the pros and cons of each before making a decision...