Although there are many options, the most popular suggestion, is a  quick reseal with solvent acrylic sealer. The solvent it most cases gives the needed pop to the faded paver. This technique though requires maintenance and resealing to try and keep the paver looking its best. A technique that is often overlooked and does not hit the pocket book that hard is to recolor the paver’s using a concrete stain and than applying the acrylic sealer.

Why is this process a smarter choice? First off it ensures that the color displayed is at its his potential vibrancy and accuracy. Secondly, it allows the consumer to alter, change or unite concrete slabs and sidewalks with their paver’s. Let’s take a look at one example. This project was done in a subdivision in Land O’ Lakes Florida. The situation was faded paver’s that bordered both sides of the concrete sidewalk leading up to the front entry way of the home.

The first step taken was to make sure the concrete sidewalk and paver’s were clean. For this process they used SCR (Super Concrete Renovator), a concrete cleaning solution that is “GREEN” or environmentally friendly and will not hurt the garden or landscaping near by. Once this solution was applied at a 4-1 ratio with water, the surface was pressure washed.

Next was the application of color to the paver’s and the concrete sidewalk. For this they choose the latest in “GREEN” concrete stains by SureCrete Design. The product is called Eco-Stain, a water based penetrating concrete stain that comes in 29 UV-stable colors. This product can be applied via multiple spraying tools or sponged on for faux finishes. After the concrete stain is applied it sits and dries for 30-60 minutes. After it is dried you can apply any type of acrylic sealer. As with any manufacturer, SureCrete does have sealer available also.

We hope these ideas help rejuvenate your fading concrete paver’s and sidewalks and allow for new looks and colors to refresh your own home or business!

Location: Canon City, Colorado

Project: Staining a concrete retaining wall

Installation by: Anderson Thompson

Material Supplier: Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply

Total Sq Ft: 324 sq ft

Products Used: Orange Blossom & Oak Eco-Stain plus SureCrete Water based Clear Acrylic sealer

A concrete retaining wall is an important, functional element to your home. For many though, it is a blank canvas waiting to have someone bring it to life. That is exactly what happened to a homeowner in Canon City, Colorado. With such beautiful scenery surrounding his home, his retaining wall block was a large white eye soar that stood out. After searching online and finding Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply, they realized they could bring their backyard retaining wall to life and do it in a way that was environmentally friendly!

The team at Two Sisters DCS, explained the pros and cons of traditional reactive acid and acrylic based stains offered by many companies. Realizing they did not like the sound of chemical stain or the uniform paint like look of acrylic stains, they choose to go with an environmentally friendly stain called Eco-Stain. This product offers 29-UV stable colors and uses the concrete retaining walls natural porosity to give the modeled and variegated stain look desired. To finish off the installation they choose a low VOC sealer from SureCrete Design, Hi-Gloss Clear WaterBase Sealer. Since the homeowner did not want to take on this project, Two Sisters DCS offered some local contractors, which were qualified for this application.

The process of installation was to thoroughly clean the retaining wall via a pressure washer and SCR. Once the retaining wall was clean, the team with Anderson Thompson Group, sprayed on the two colors of Eco-Stain with a HVLP gun hooked up to a compressor. This technique allowed for an even amount of material, and reduced  the amount of concrete stain being applied. This gave the opportunity to minimize runs and uneven or splotchy  modeling on the concrete retaining wall. After the stain dried, which is typically 30-60 minutes, they then applied the Waterbase acrylic sealer. The sealer was a wise choice as it locks down the color and provides a protection against staining from the soil and other minerals in the ground and water.

Two Sisters Decorative Concrete Supply is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado but offers concrete products and supplies to all of Colorado including Canon City. For more information please contact them at 1-719-661-8978.

SureCrete Design has worked diligently over the last 3 years, bringing in house, the largest supplies for precast and pour-in-place concrete countertops, GFRC wall panels, integral concrete sink molds, concrete edge details and much more. SureCrete has also put together the most comprehensive concrete countertop fabrication training courses in the industry today.

Many concrete countertop training courses that are available, teach  the history behind concrete and the artisan side of custom design. While all of these points have a place, and can be very exciting, it does not ensure that the student/applicator can make a living of this training.  SureCrete’s concrete countertop training is designed to enlighten the applicator to concrete countertop mix designs, latest application techniques, simple and creative mold designs and efficient installation procedures.

Why is this knowledge essential? Once you go through the 3 or 5 day course, the applicator is in position to make a business against concrete countertops and be able to compete with weekly fabrication and installation as can be seen in other mainstream countertop materials such as;solid surface and natural stone. Lets look at what you can expect out of the two available concrete countertop courses by SureCrete.

Advancements in Concrete Countertop Mix – Xtreme Series Product Line

How does one choose the right concrete countertop mix?

Well there are many reputable companies out there that take great pride in their concrete countertop mix designs. Outside of cost, what can be some deciding factors to help narrow the choices?

1. First off your concrete countertop mix should match your intended design and profile thickness. Example;  if you need to pour a concrete countertop 1″ thick can it be done with ease? If so what kind of reinforcement is needed?
2. Next, are you looking to pour it in place or precast your concrete countertops? This is a very important choice. Certain mix designs can handle both preferences. Be cautious about demold and cure times. Compressive and flexural strengths vary in concrete countertop mixes.
3. Most concrete countertop mixes can achieve multiple textures, looks and designs. The only caution can be the size of the aggregates in the concrete countertop mix. If you are looking to polish the concrete countertop, cut it in place or do any mechanical manipulation,  this can expose aggregates that may not be part of the intended look. This should be taken into consideration when choosing the right concrete countertop mix.

With those three factors in mind, we looked at many of the more popular manufacturers of concrete countertop mixes. One that stood out was the Xtreme Countertop mix from SureCrete Design products. Lets take a look at what made this product the smartest choice in concrete countertop mix design.

Xtreme Countertop is a dual component concrete countertop mix. It combines the most advanced chemical technology with modern fiber advancements, to create an unparalleled concrete countertop mix design. This technology binds the raw materials of cement and sand with other ingredients into a stronger, denser cementitious composite than ever before possible.

How is this an advantage? The advancements in the Xtreme Series concrete countertop mix greatly reduces the amount of materials and labor required to construct a traditional concrete countertop. It addition to that, the concrete countertop mix does not have any polymers or acrylics. This opens the door for larger temperature swings during mixing and pouring along with little to no shrinkage issues after the fact. With the wide range of color selection and aggregate loading, design considerations are nearly limitless.

Xtreme Concrete Countertop Mix Features:

• Pre Blended Bag mix design with (1) gallon of XCTOP Modifier
• Pour as thin as 1/2″ with No rebar or steel
• Extreme PVA Fiber load
• Compressive Strength – 10,500 PSI
• Flexural Strength – 1,500 PSI
• 30-45 minute pot life of self consolidation
• 4-6 hour cure to demold time (design and texture can alter time)
• Begin tooling or polishing after 8 hours
• Bend into designs!

Here is a video that show’s you how creative one can get with the right concrete countertop mix. The product was demolded 6 hours after pouring. At 18 hours old, it could hold 3 adults at 5/8″ thick, standing on its own legs.