Understanding the Realities of Concrete Color Restoration

When decorative concrete is first installed, the coloring is bright, vibrant, and vivid. Unfortunately, that doesn’t last forever. Wear and tear on decorative concrete surfaces can dull even the most vivid of colors, resulting in an aged and dull look. Sun, deicing chemicals, lawn fertilizers, dirt, and foot traffic will all take their toll on concrete surfaces over the years, fading color. While proper maintenance, including periodic cleaning and resealing, can slow the process of fading, nothing can be done to completely stop it. Every five to ten years or so, the color used to create decorative concrete needs a facelift to restore its zing.

Concrete color restoration can be an excellent way to bring the vibrancy back to aging colored concrete on patios, pool decks, driveways, basement floors, garage floors, or any other type of concrete surface. Concrete color restoration often involves stripping the original protective coating with a biodegradable, water-based product and then preparing the surface to remove excess dirt or bond breaking residues. In some cases, if there are noticeable scratches, dings, or imperfections, a grinder may be used to grind the surface down to smooth, clean concrete. Depending on the product used to revitalize, a mild etching product may be applied to facilitate stain penetration. Once the concrete surface is ready, new color can be applied to restore the vibrancy of the surface. Colors can then be applied in a variety of styles, patterns, and design types.

Restoring color to concrete is much less disruptive than ripping it out and replacing it, and many times the results are nearly identical. At Concrete Coatings Unlimited, we have the experience and expertise to tackle even the toughest concrete color restoration projects. Whether your colored concrete needs a facelift after a few years of wear and tear or the color needs to be completely restored after years of neglect, we’re here to get the job done.