Over the last few months I’ve had multiple projects with issues related to color. I feel it will benefit Concrete Decorreaders to understand the process for corrections as well as some simple tips and tricks for achieving desired results.
Concrete Repair & Restoration
Instead of ripping out and replacing, existing concrete can be repaired and restored with the aid of the right equipment, products and know-how.
Materials Made for Concrete Color Restoration
Just about any coloring material or tool can potentially be useful on a restoration job. However, some manufacturers have targeted this growing niche with specially marketed materials. Here are a few of those products, with some descriptions from their suppliers.
Restoring High Traffic Areas Using Concrete Overlays
The floors of this 80,000-square-foot outdoor mall on the island of Kauai were patchy, cracked and worn out. One sweeping restoration changed everything.
Repair Concrete Cracks in the Substrate to Avoid Cracks in your Overlay
Most cracks in a substrate will telegraph through overlays if not prepared properly, so spend the extra time and dollars to prep the area correctly. If you repair problem areas prior to installing an overlay you will minimize the chances of cracks in your overlay.
Calcium Carbonate Spots Under Sealed Concrete
As new concrete hydrates, it creates calcium hydroxide. When the calcium hydroxide comes in contact with carbon dioxide in the air, it creates calcium carbonate (free salts).
Go with the Flow: Incorporating Cracks into Your Concrete Work
One ever-popular way to hide cracks is to conceal them as grout lines in a flagstone pattern.
Historic Mazza Castle Restored and Repaired for Next 100 Years
Emily McCloskey, the young wife of attorney and Irish immigrant Henry Harrison McCloskey, had grown deathly afraid of earthquakes after the “great earthquake” of San Francisco and the subsequent fire that killed 500 people and left 220,000 homeless in 1906.
Custom Concrete Repair Methods for Historical Restoration Project
When tackling any historical restoration like the Mazza Castle project, I recommend surveying the structure thoroughly prior to construction, like a doctor would examine an ailing patient before making a diagnosis. Just like every person responds differently to treatment, so does the structure undergoing restoration.
Easier Repairs for Polished Concrete
Repairs are always tricky. The idea is to get them done as quickly as possible with a remedy the customer will buy. By selecting the correct process and products, you can control how long the repairs will take to complete. Customers’ willingness to accept repairs is determined by understanding their expectations and letting them know early on if their goals are achievable.
Concrete Staples and
Paint Pigments Win the Day
Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, often makes it onto lists of the nation’s most livable cities. But for a slab of concrete, Overland Park is a bad place to be.
