Stamped Concrete Sealer Bubbles

Usually late in the day is best.

Stamped concrete sealer bubbles.

However if bubbles continue to form then try sealing during a cooler time of year. Concrete sealer bubbles solvent based acrylic concrete sealers are designed to enhance darken and give a sheen to decorative concrete surfaces. When concrete is freshly poured it has a high water content mixing water. How to fix bubbles in sealer if the temperature isn t too hot then apply a new coat of sealer to re liquify the existing sealer.

Most decorative concrete sealers are quite sensitive to moisture. Another option if blisters form while applying is to use a leaf blower. As a last resort the surface can be stripped of all sealer cleaned and resealed. Use chemmasters specially formulated bubble resistant products like polyseal ez and stamped decorative concrete.

Adhere to the manufacturer s. Concrete sealer blisters and bubbles as well as concrete sealer whitening are caused by moisture. Whose fault was it. No need to waste all that sealer or create more problems if it doesn t work.

A xylene bath lightly soaking the problem area with a xylene solvent and back rolling is the first step. The pressure causes the sealer to bubble as you see on the left or in extreme cases as on the right it blasts the sealer off the surface off the concrete. Unfortunately when applied incorrectly or overapplied you may have issues with bubbles forming in the sealer. You can learn more about sealing and repair of blisters and bubbles by calling the technical department of most any major sealer manufacturer.

Use light colors for the slab. If bubbles run deep then the sealer is usually on too thick and a solvent bath along with back rolling may be needed. As a last resort the sealer can be removed using chemical strippers then scrubbing and washing the surface of the concrete. If this does not work you will probably need to strip off some or all of the sealer.

Sometimes reapplying the same sealer will fix the concrete blisters and bubbles again try this on a small area first. Let the sealer sit overnight and dry properly. Don t over apply sealer which may trap solvents and form bubbles. This typically happens to stamped concrete or smooth decorative concrete surfaces.

After the concrete hardens this water escapes the concrete as a gas water vapor. For any exterior stamped concrete that will be sealed and especially pool decks i have a few hard fast recommendations.