Can faded or cracked concrete be repaired?

In most cases, yes! While concrete isn’t immune to deterioration from age, there are often ways to refresh and repair it. If your tinted concrete has simply faded over time, products like Proline’s Accent Water-Based Acrylic Stain, EZ-Tique Antiquing Wash, or Smith’s water-based color products can restore your dull concrete. They are easy to use and give faded concrete a nice pop of color. Your surface must be porous, though, for the coloring product to adhere.

Overlay is an effective and affordable way to repair cracked concrete. Once fixed, the concrete can be stamped and colored like new. For concrete overlays, use Proline’s Color Packs for your base color and products like Accent or EZ-Tique for highlighting and antiquing. This would replace color hardener and antique release in this application. Proline Pro-Stamp, a strong stampable overlay, transforms plain concrete into a surface that can be stamped with any decorative, textured finish. Proline ProSurfacer, a high strength polymer concrete overlay, is another product that can restore and repair stained and cracked concrete. This can be colored, broom finished, stained, the possibilities are endless. It is used in several overlay applications and can even be used as a patch and leveling compound that can fill and repair uneven concrete.

Do I need to seal my concrete after stamping and coloring?

Yes. Sealing maintains the color of your concrete. Sealing concrete enriches the color intensity — whether the color is integral, a stain or dye, or from color hardener. Sealers can add sheen to the concrete such as a high gloss or no sheen like a matte. Concrete sealers block the penetration of dirt, oil, grease and chemicals, and make the concrete surface much easier to clean. Sealers prevent water intrusion which can minimize freeze-thaw damage. Concrete sealers also help to prevent wear and tear from high foot and auto traffic areas.

Concrete should be sealed every two years or more frequently if it’s exposed to extreme weather.

How can I add a base color to concrete?

Concrete can be stained and tinted in a wide variety of colors and tones, and there are a few ways to accomplish this:

• Color hardener is a popular technique that involves broadcasting the product onto wet concrete and then working it in with a trowel. Only the top surface is colored, so the color tends to be more intense. Since color hardeners increase the strength of concrete, they’re a great choice for outside projects and interior floors with heavy traffic.
• Integral color is added to concrete prior to pouring. The color is consistent throughout the slab and won’t fade from exposure, but color is less vibrant than what you see with color hardener.