Urban Legends – The Myth of the Permanent Concrete Sealer

Sealed concrete repels water, and protects from salt damage

Years ago there was the story that a small manufacturer had discovered the secret of producing a car that could get 80 to 100 miles per gallon of gas.  Then General Motors (or Ford – depending on the version of the story) bought out that small company and buried the technology so that it wouldn’t interfere with their ongoing car sales.  I am sure that this story still circulates and that there are still people who believe it to be true.

In concrete circles, there is another legend being created – the myth of the permanent concrete sealer.  I have seen numerous ads touting that you “never seal your concrete again…really” and they guarantee Permanent Protection for 25 years.  There are signs stating that someone sells “the ONLY permanent concrete sealer”.  There is just enough truth in these ads so that they are not illegal.  The sealer is permanent.  What is questionable is whether this guarantees that your concrete is sealed.

The ads and the sales pitch neglects to tell you that other pores come open.  Concrete is very porous with any number of pores.  So if those pores are clean and open, the concrete sealer penetrates and seals.  Over time and with use of the surface (i.e. driving over it)  other pores come open and these pores are NOT sealed.  Maintenance is required.

We all look for the easy answer, the one-time fix, but they just aren’t real.  There is no oil that we can use so we will never have to change the oil in our car again.  There is no nail polish that once it is on will never need to be redone.  If we expect a “permanent” thing to never require maintenance, we will most likely be disappointed.  The emotional equation – Disappointment equals Reality minus Expectations – holds true in concrete sealing as it does in life.  More about this tomorrow.

WHY NOT –

Why don’t we do those things that we know we should do?  Sometimes it is because we really don’t know we should do them.  Or we don’t really understand WHY we should do them.  And sometimes it is because there appears to be more pain involved in DOING that something than there is in NOT DOING it.  Classic examples of that would be exercise or physical therapy.  And sometimes DOING what we should just isn’t very exciting.  How exciting is it to change your furnace filters or to get the oil changed in your car?  We do those things not because they are exciting but because we know in the long run if we don’t do them the resulting damage can cost us a LOT of money.  New furnaces and new engines in cars cost thousands of dollars.

So why don’t we do concrete cleaning and concrete sealing?  I think it is because most people really don’t know that they should do maintenance on concrete.   One of our associates in the concrete industry once told me that the asphalt pavement industry does a terrific job teaching people that asphalt needs to be maintained but that the concrete industry has totally failed in that department.  Most people don’t know the problems they can have with concrete until they have problems – and then they don’t know where to go to get unbiased answers on how to fix those problems.  Most of the time it just takes a little practical advice and a place where you can purchase the materials you need to accomplish the task.  Like how to videos on the SealGreen YouTube Channel.  Or articles about concrete problems in the SealGreen Library.

Knowledge is power – the power to preserve and protect a valuable asset.  Every day I will try to help you get that knowledge.

Life Lessons for Moms and Graduates –

I just wish that someone would have told me all kinds of things about home ownership

All the focus this weekend is on Moms.  But what about our Graduates.   Yesterday we talked about how Mom’s notice things.  Well, as a Mom I notice that our graduates don’t know enough about how to care for and maintain a home.  To tell the truth, when we bought our first home, we didn’t know either.  High school graduates have some time to learn those skills but college graduates need to be thinking about this.  College graduation, marriage, children, home ownership seems to be the natural progression.   I just wish that someone would have told me all kinds of things about home ownership before I ever purchased a home.  I wish someone would have told me all about furnace filters, the different types (permanent vs replaceable), when to check them, clean them, replace them, etc.  I wish someone would have told me about draining a hot water tank to remove the sediment that accumulates in the bottom.  I wish someone would have told me about energy measures such as sealing the leaks in the air ducts and using foam to seal around doors and windows.  There are just a million things that I wish I had known BEFORE the item needed to be replaced and the repairman said “Didn’t you know that if you just did this and such that you could have gotten another 5 years out of your water heater, etc?”    Or how about “if you had sealed your driveway when it was new and kept it up, your driveway would last 20 years instead of the 5 to 7 years that is the average life expectancy in this area.”

Remember that old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”?  Well, it certainly seems to be true.  Maintaining and taking care of things isn’t as exciting and doesn’t get the adrenaline rush that buying NEW stuff gets.  But over a lifetime of maintaining and taking care of your things, the money saved would probably buy a lot of NEW, exciting things.  Here is a hint about taking care of concrete …. Hint

Mom’s Notice –

An oasis of peace, quiet and beauty where Mom can sit and relax.

Hey, I am a Mom so I know.  Mom’s notice all the dirt and discoloration in the driveway, the walkway, the front porch, the back patio, and Yes, even the garage (typically delegated as man’s domain).  Mom’s notice things that no one else notices – like hairline cracks in the concrete or cracks in the concrete that get bigger with each passing month.  They can probably even tell you how much bigger the crack is now than it was a month ago.  Mom’s notice.  They see those little pits start to develop.  They see the weeds growing in the dirt where the joint used to be.  They see all those little things that no one else seems to notice.  And they are bothered by them.  Oh, they may not say any thing – or again, they might say a lot.  But they notice!

So how to win the heart of a mother?  Notice those little things that she notices and then do something about them.  Repair the cracks, replace the joints, clean and seal the concrete or clean, stain and seal your back patio.  Create an oasis of peace, quiet and beauty where Mom can sit and relax.  She will appreciate it more than you can possibly imagine.  Want to know how to do these things yourself….. Want to know more?….. www.SealGreen.com.

 

April Showers Bring………Mold and Mildew

Mold and Mildew on concrete will eventually damage the concrete

The last few days I have been inundated with phone calls from people dealing with mold and mildew on their concrete walkways, patios and driveways and wondering how to get rid of it.  The grass and flowers love all this moisture.  Everything is green and blooming INCLUDING mold and mildew.  Not only is the mold and mildew unsightly but it is dangerous to leave on your concrete.  Mold and mildew are actually living, growing plants that break apart your concrete as they multiply.  Ever so slightly but over time  a little drip of water can wear away a mountain just like the mold and mildew plants can tear apart your concrete patio, concrete walkway or concrete driveway.  A little known fact is that concrete sealers used after the concrete is clean will help prevent the regrowth of the mold and mildew.

We don’t own our possessions – they own us.  We have to insure them, clean them, protect them (or replace them).  Concrete cleaned and sealed just makes one possession (your concrete) easier to take care of.

Spring is here!

Existing old plain concrete walkway cleaned, stained and sealed with three colors

Spring is here!Or certainly appears to be although two months early for most parts of the country.  People are outside, mowing lawns, trimming trees and shrubs, cleaning out flowerbeds and cleaning concrete driveways, walkways, entries, and patios.  It is amazing how dirty concrete can get – all those open pores soak up dirt as well as water.  It is going to be a long summer so clean up now, seal decorative concrete to protect it from harsh summer weather AND if you are creative and want a real lift to your outdoor living spaces – add some color stain and have a “brand-new” patio or entry.

If you are in the Overland Park, KS area, we offer free training classes in how to stain and seal your concrete to add new vibrancy to your outdoor living.   Our Training Classes.  If you are outside of our area email us or call us to get to get a copy of our free training manual.

Visibility can determine the need

Concrete sealers have been around for a long time. However, most people are unaware of concrete sealers and why they should seal their concrete. They know about wood deck sealers and even asphalt sealers because the people who build decks and those who install asphalt always leave behind these words of wisdom “Don’t forget to seal this every two years or so if you want it to last”. For some reason, the people who install concrete don’t tell their customers about concrete sealers. In fact, many of those people don’t really understand concrete sealers, why they are used, that there are different types of sealers, and when different sealers are appropriate.

And then what about people who buy a house already built – either new or used. No one tells the new homeowner that they should seal the concrete driveway or reseal their stamped concrete patio. The new homeowner realizes that they need to do something with their deck because of the “appearance” of the deck – the visible signs of wear and aging. Concrete ages from the inside out – invisible to the eye until damage forces its way out. And by that time, lots of damage has been done inside the concrete. Now the homeowner or small business owner plays keep-up to try and prevent the damage from spreading further and getting worse.