Carlton's Corner - Should you stop sealing?
by Doug Carlton

Lately I have been asking myself questions about why we do what we do concerning decorative concrete work. I kind of feel like sealing may be one of those things we do in life because we are told it’s what we should do. After all, what reputable concrete contractor would think twice about not sealing, and protecting, their work?

However, is it possible that this necessity is not a necessity at all? Could it be that all the hoopla on sealing concrete is being motivated by glossy pictures causing new contractors to assume this is an industry standard?

The goal of this article is to get you to think about why you do what you do. This article will not be your typical one, outlining what sealer works best on which decorative type, because there are plenty of experts talking about just that. You very well may read this and decide the best method for you is exactly what you are currently doing. I hope this is the case. I also hope you give me a couple of paragraphs to argue my case.

Here is how all this started. Long after office hours one evening, one of my best general contractors that we stamp for was wandering around my outdoor gallery that displays our work. This is a guy who sends many jobs to my company and who is very good to work with for a number of reasons. So of course I opened up the office and we spent the next hour or so answering one question. Why do we seal our stamped concrete?