Updated: Sep. 07, 2022
Here are five easy—and relatively inexpensive—ways to keep your concrete as strong as King Kong, according to Acid Magic.
Let’s faceit:It’s pretty easy to takeconcrete patios, sidewalks,drivewaysand basem*nt and garage floorsfor granted. After all, they seempretty darninvincibleas you walk and drive all over them, day after day, month after month, year after year. And concreteisstrong and durable—until it’s suddenly not.
Like a weight-lifter who stops working out, an unmaintained concrete slab can slowlydeteriorate. Couple that with the fact that concrete isn’t cheap (one recent survey pegged theaveragenationwidecost of installing a concrete patioatabout $2,630),it’s clearly inyour best interests to protect this seeminglyinvulnerableinvestment with a little TLC.
via ACID Magic
With that in mind, here are five easy—and relatively inexpensive—ways to keep your concrete as strong as King Kong:
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1.Seal the Deal
Concrete always should becoatedwith a protective sealant to repel moisture and resist stains.Why? While itappears to be assolid as a rock, concreteactuallyisveryporous. As such, it absorbs water. Andin most climates,that’s not good for longevity.
For newly poured concrete, expertsrecommend not applying asealer until the concrete cures completely, which takes 28days.What kind of sealer should you use? There basically are too kinds: acrylic-resin and penetrating sealers. And applying them isnota one-time proposition.
How oftenyou’ll need to reseal your concretedepends onfactors like theweatherandhow muchvehicle/foottrafficit receives. But generally speaking, you’ll need to reapplyacrylic-resin sealersroughly every two years, whilepenetrating sealerscan last for five to10 years, experts note.
Either way,sealing concrete isa fairly easyDIY project; all you need is a reputable sealing product and apaint roller with a ¾-inch nap.Thecostof sealantwill vary by locale, but typically runs between15 to25 cents per square foot.
2. Keep It Clean
Oils and other chemical stains not only look bad, they can eventually lead to concrete deterioration. Moreover, because concrete is porous, it’s best to clean stainsquickly, before thematerialcanseep into the concrete.
Here’s whereACIDMagic®from Certol Internationalsteps in. For rust, scale, mineral build-up,mildewstainsandother stains—even efflorescence—thiseco-friendlyyet still powerfulform ofmuriatic acid,anintensecleaning agent,is your new BFF when it comes to cleaning concrete.
ACID Magic is a safer alternative to standard muriaticacidand a one-for-one replacement. Better yet, itgenerates up to 90 percent less fumes, which makes it easy to use indoors (with proper ventilation, of course). Furthermore, thanks to buffering agents,it won’tburnintact skin.(But you should still wear gloves and eye protection while using it.)
Formore informationabout how to clean withACIDMagic, pleaseclick here.
via ACID Magic
3.Avoid Deicing Chemicals
Experts advise against using deicers on concrete, especiallynotbefore it’s a year old. Interestingly enough, it’s not the deicers that actually cause problems—it’s the increased number of freeze-thaw cycles that they induce.
Here’s what happens: Deicing agentswork bychemicallyloweringthe temperature at which water freezes. Asthey work,deicers convertsnowand ice into a salty brine solution. This solution keeps thawing and refreezing as the weather and temperatures change, which means the concrete enduressignificantlymany more freeze/thaw cycles thanitotherwise would.
Furthermore, this briny solution keeps migrating into theporousconcrete, where italsofreezes (expands)and contracts(thaws), causing more damage.Keep in mind that watervolumeincreasesabout 9 percentwhen it freezes and expands!
Deicers that containammonium nitrates and ammonium sulphates are especiallybadbecause theyactually attackconcrete chemically. Rock salt (sodium chloride) or calcium chlorideinflictless damage, but harmsvegetation. Using sand and thoroughlyshoveling/scraping offsnow and ice is the best alternative.
4.Etching Made Easy
Painting or coating a concrete floorwith an epoxy coveringcan make itnot onlymore attractive, but help it lasta littlelongerby protecting it from nasty stains and other corrosive elements. But before you do anything, you must do the prep work and etch the concrete.
Why? Etching helps open up the concrete’s pores, which in turn allows it to better bond with the paint, forming a tight adhesive seal. Sure, you could skip this step, but only do that if youtruly love toperiodicallyrepaintyour floor!
Now, you could go through the expense and hassle of hiring a contractor to shot-blast the concrete. But it’seasierto just buy someACIDMagic and use this eco-friendly product to etch the concrete.
Some simple rules apply, such as start with a diluted, 1:4 ratio ofACIDMagic to water (one gallon ofACIDMagic to four gallons of water, for example). If that doesn’t do the trick, you can try up to a 1:2 dilution. Moreover, always add theACIDMagic tothe water, not vice-versa. Anduse itonlyon concrete that’smore than90 days old, andneverapplyACIDMagic todryconcrete—always wet it down first. (For more details about etching concrete withACIDMagic, click onthis link.)
BONUS: Another Painting Tip
Just as water can seep into concrete, it also can migrate up from below. Poor perimeter drainage, climate conditions, leaky pipes, high water tables and so forth can cause this condition, which is problematic because damp concrete and paint mix about as well as oil and water. The bottom line: Paint doesn’t adhere very well to moist concrete.
So how do you know if you have a moisture problem? Aside from obvious visual evidence, you can perform a fast and inexpensive test.Just cut a 16”x16” piece of plastic sheeting andaffixit to the floor with duct tape on all four sides.
After 24 hours, peel off the plastic sheet and see if there’s either condensation on the underside or a damp, dark area on the concrete floor. No condensation or darker area? It’s all good—get ready to etch. If not,sorry—it’s time to call in a professional.
via ACID Magic
5.A Joint Venture
Expansion joints, those felt-lined gaps between concrete slabs, allow room for the slabs to expand and contract as weather conditions change. If those joints aren’t water-tight, however, water gets under the slabs, whichcan causethem to pitch and heave, rise and sink.The resultingstress can crack the slabs.
To prevent this, remove worn-out felt and fill the gap with a self-leveling sealant, available at hardware stores and home centers. Here’s how to do it:
- Use a utility knife to remove the old felt. You might even need to use an angle grinderto get it all out. (Please remember towear gloves and safety glasses.) If you don’t ownanangle grinderand don’t want toinvest in a tool you may not use very often, many home centersrentthem.
- When the felt is removed, useashopvacto collectthedebrisinthe joints.
- To minimize the amount of sealant required to fill the gap,fill it withclosed-cell foambacker rod,also known as filler rope.
BONUS:
Buy backer rod that’s about 1/8 of an inch larger than the expansion-joint gap.
- Push the backer rodinto the gapfar enoughthatit tucks underthebottom of theslabs.
- Followmanufacturer’sdirections to apply the self-levelingcrack sealant.
via ACID Magic
ACID Magic is sold at Ace Hardware and True Value hardware stores, as well as many companies that sell pool supplies. To learn more about where ACID Magic is sold, clickhere.
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