![]() The use of colored sealers is common for repairs where a sealer already exists. They can range from very translucent to opaque. This method of coloring concrete differs from stains in that a film or membrane contains the color. This means the surface being repaired needs to be free of all sealers and coatings. Once again, the biggest limitation is their need to penetrate. The most common of these problems include discoloration from curing blankets, faded or severely washed-out color, and batch-to-batch color inconsistency. They are the best fix for more severe color issues where the requirement is both full coverage and hide. Unlike their translucent cousins, solid-color stains provide 100 percent hide and are opaque. The biggest limitation is their need to penetrate, which means the surface being repaired needs to be free of all sealers and coatings. The most common of these products are acid stains, water- and alcohol-based acrylic stains and dyes. They also work well where the desired outcome is some level of marbling or variegation. These types of stains work best on less severe surface color issues (minor blotchiness, minor discoloration and minor surface contamination) where significant hide from the underlying color is not required. This family of stains produces a color tone that ranges from a very light color wash to semiopaque. The following is an overview of some of the most common concrete surface color problems and successful repair products and systems for surface color issues that I have worked with over the last 15 years. What type of performance is expected? No repair is as good as the original. How big is the repair - small random spots or a thousand square feet of continuous slab? What is the final look you are after? For example, the solid-color look of integrally colored concrete or the natural-stone look of stamped concrete? When dealing with surface color issues, a few key issues determine the type of repair. And remember, don’t ever say, “I have never seen this before.” That statement does not instill confidence in your ability to resolve the issue. No matter how you manage your customer’s expectations, stay calm and communicate that this can be fixed. If you did not discuss these possibilities, experience has shown you are in a bad place and chances are that you are going to end up getting stuck with some or all of the repair bill. This is called managing expectations, and if you have read any of my previous columns you know I am a huge advocate. If you discussed with your clients in advance (and put in writing) the possibility of color variation and how it can occur due to the natural variations of raw materials found in concrete, you are way ahead of the game. At this time in our little make-believe scenario, salvaging the job and making money or losing money hangs in the balance. STOP! Before we go any further, let me interject. The customer can’t or won’t live with it., So what are you going to do about it? The concrete is structurally sound, but indeed the color in some fashion is wrong. After researching the complaint, something, somewhere along the line went haywire. “The color is wrong,” states the voice on the other end, with the confidence and understanding that color in concrete is a sure thing, just like paint from a can. Without fail, the call comes at the worst possible time. So, with the understanding that surface color issues will occur no matter how well a job is planned and or executed, let’s look at some popular and successful remedies for correcting these color problems. Add a small amount of color to the very same pour, and even the smallest color differences have ended up in a courtroom at a cost of thousands of dollars. I have often found that with a gray sidewalk, patio or driveway, you can have multiple tones of gray, discoloration and blotchiness and no one takes a second glance. What is the biggest difference that separates decorative concrete from regular concrete? Color! When you really think about it, it does make sense. People claim the wrong color, inconsistent color, blotchy color, color that is too light, color that’s too dark, and the list goes on and on. Complaints can involve integrally colored concrete, color-hardened concrete, stamped and textured concrete and stained concrete. Unfortunately, complaints about how color turns out are an all-too-familiar topic of conversation.
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