How can I re stain my faded stamped concerte. The guy who did the job mixed the color into the cement prior to pouring it. It faded within a month and he re sealed it but that only makes it look good for a month or two. I love on a golf course and he told me it's because of the over spray from the sprinklers but I think that's bs. I seal it once a year to keep it looking decent but I think I need to re stain it. I've seen some quick videos on YouTube but wanted to get a professionals opinion before I take on this project.

 

w/o knowing which color he used, its usually uv-resistant sealer which prevents color fade - all color fades,,, where are you buying your sealer ?

we have to overlay a sidewalk today - we use 'css' - 2 coats @ 1.5 part xylene:1part css our driveway throat's been acid stained for 5 yrs & gets sealed once a yr

 

Whenever I've reseated it I got the sealer from Home Depot. I want to re stain this time to bring back the color. What steps should I take?

 

you only get pro results when you use pro materials,,, told you what we use - shouldn't be difficult to find it,,, our cost is $155 5gal - we thin that w/xylene

already said that - sorry,,, find a better sealer - don't expect anything from the apron/vest stores' stuff,,, not knowledge, advice, or good products,,, you can buy the tints you need from sher-wms just as we do when we want to tint css

 

Thanks for the info, does it matter what color tint I use since it's already stained a brownish color?

 

i wouldn't use green or blue sher-wms has a pro color chart - its about 11" long x 2" thick - usually under the counter & for pro's only as its expensive,,, if they're reluctant to give you 1, they also own & sell h & C products,,, i'm not wild about them but, if a client wants cheap work & understands we won't warrant performance, that's what they get

bear in mind sher-wms can give you any tint you request,,, just start small - drop by drop or 1/2oz by 1/2 oz depending on the full amount of sealer you need to do the work,,, you can always add more tint - subtracting too much tint is difficult

 

I tried looking up sher-WMS online but couldn't find anything. Do you have a link I can go to so I can find one near me? Here a pic of what my floor looks like now.

 

Concrete & Masonry Products - Sherwin-Williams

 

If those last photos are of your concrete, it DOES NOT need to be re-stained! The color is there, but is simply hidden by whitened or "blushed" concrete sealer. This happens a lot. Whenever someone's stamped concrete dulls down a bit, they re-seal. Once a year is far too often to reseal. The build-up of sealer renders the concrete unbreathable and rising moisture gets trapped under the too-thick sealer, causing it to turn hazy. DO NOT re-seal or stain your concrete. You will just be trading one problem for another.
If you are in a state that allows the sale and use of xylol (xylene), try using that to rejuvenate your sealer. Do a web search for "xylene and stamped concrete" and see what turns up. It will be a lot simpler, cheaper, and will return your stamped concrete to its original condition without adding another coat of anything.

 

good catch, pecos - apron/vest stores are a good source for xylene,,, we buy in 5gal pails from sher-wms but have a pro acct & disc

 

Thanks for the info, not sure if it matters but this issue started about a month after the concrete was pourd. Should I remove the old sealer with a pressure washer first? And what steps should I take to make I do it right next time?

 

Unless the sealer is flaking off, a pressure washer won't remove it. Just pressure wash it to clean the dirt off of it, let it dry for 48 hours, and use some xylene on a natural bristle brush (not poly bristles) to scrub the xylene onto the surface. Then just walk away.
The xylene will melt the existing sealer and spread it around. It will remove the hazing but leave the sealer. The sealer will dry clear again. Try it on a small out of the way section first. I think you will be amazed with the results.

 

Very important! xylene can/will melt poly and/or nylon brush bristles marring your finish in the process

 

Ok so I'm almost done pressure washing it and it already looks so much better! I didn't use any chemicals to remove the sealer, would the xylene bring back the gloss that the sealer originally had?

 

absolutely. Post photos when you're done to help the next guy who asks the same question

 

its possible just rolling on (3/4" nap roller cover) will restore appearance unless it was a wtr-based sealer,,, no sealer will change a color however it make it 'pop'

 

True. Xylene won't do anything for water based sealer, except to possibly gum it up. If your sealer is smelly and clear when it is applied, and comes in a metal pail, it is solvent based. If milky or white, mild smell, and in a plastic pail it is water based.

 

I'm not sure what type of sealer the guy used when he initially did my concrete but I used the water based stuff when I re-sealed it. I can take a pic of what it looks like now and u can let me know what u think. Thanks again!

 

The xylene will likely melt your water based sealer.

 

What does this mean? Should not use xylene? What should I do from here?

 

Post the pictures of what it looks like now.
The main problem was probably that you used water based sealer over his original solvent based sealer. Many times, the water based will not bond well to solvent based and you get the white, crappy looking stuff on top.
You say that it looks a lot better after you pressure washed. That's probably because the washing washed off a lot of your water based sealer that wasn't well-bonded. You might be back down to the original solvent based, in which case xylene would work. If there is still water based on top and solvent based on the bottom, the xylene will likely just gum up the whole mess.
I guess you could try the xylene in an inconspicuous spot and see what happens. If it works on the spot, then proceed. If it just gums up, you'll need to chemically strip the whole thing and start over sealing the bare stamped concrete. Good luck.
And BTW, in reading over your original post, it very well may be overspray from a sprinkler system causing the problem. I see it all the time. If you have hard water in your region, the minerals in the water are deposited on the slab and then left on the surface when the water evaporates. The contractor wasn't necessarily BS-ing you. Do you have a water softener in your house? If not, do you get calcium or lime deposits on your sinks and fixtures? If you do have a softener, it doesn't soften your outside water.

 

The first pic is what it looks like now, the second one the bottom section hasn't been pressure washed and the top has.

 

Sorry for some reason this is not letting upload any pics

 

Here's a pic of what it looks like now. In previous post I shared a couple pics of what it looked like before I pressure washed it.

 

Here's a before pic of the same area.

 

It doesnt look like it needs anything to me. It looks like sealed stamped concrete with no problems.

 

Thanks, it just lost its gloss.

 

The problem I continually see with stamped concrete is that people think it needs to be glossy. The stamped concrete glamor shots you see in magazines and online were taken either when its wet or right after its been sealed. To always have it retain that original gloss is an unrealistic expectation.