Oh Those Unsightly Concrete Surfaces
Updated: Feb 21
It can happen anyplace, whether it’s a garage or driveway, an interior floor or countertop, a backyard patio or side yard walkways, or maybe even your pool. Over time, concrete surfaces become stained, riddled with ground in dirt, cracked, pitted and just plain unsightly.
The first step in the rejuvenating process is to clean away years of built on dirt.
At Olson Marble and Sone Care we use a state of the art, high pressure truck mounted washing system that pushes out 3500 pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI) and 5.5 gallons per minute, a system that is unparalleled in cleaning away years of built on dirt.
Now that your surface is clean, we can locate and identify causes of concrete failures. Hairline fractures, cracks, spalling, uneven or low areas and stains all become visible.
Other than our wonderful Northern California earthquakes that cause hairline fractures and cracks, one of the other primary causes of cracking is from pooling water. If you have seen areas of standing water on the surface of your patio, this is a good indication that your patio has become uneven and needs to be resurfaced.
Spalling is a term that is used to describe chips and other forms of damage to the surface of a concrete slab. When your patio is spalling, you may notice that its external layers are starting to chip or flake away, another instance that you will need resurfacing.
Once the surface is clean and we have identified all problems and concrete failures, Olson’s Technicians will begin the transformation.
The first step of refinishing a surface is to sand away any damaged concrete that is on the surface of your patio. At Olson’s Marble and Stone Care, we use high-powered tools, such as shot blasters or scarifiers to completely sand down the surface of your concrete. After this procedure is finished, we will have a completely smooth surface that is ready for refinishing.
Once the sanding step has been completed, our guys will then go to work to fix any cracked areas throughout your concrete surface. In order to restore your concrete to perfect condition, it is important to seal these cracks before the main sealcoat is applied. Then we will either fill, or completely resurface with a new top layer.
After the patio has been completely sanded and repaired, it will be time to apply the sealant. Depending on your desired look and texture, there are many different types of surfaces that can be applied to your concrete. For example, you can choose color stains, composite overlays, and other materials that will provide your patio with a distinctive flair. At Olson’s we offer multiple staining techniques including: NewLook stains, dye stains, and water based stains, acid stains, solid color stains and decorative faux staining. Our surface coatings include: epoxies, metallic epoxies, urethanes, and super tough poly-aspartics. Sealers available include penetrators, lacquers, and acrylics. We offer green based ECO friendly stains and sealers, upon customer request.
Not only do stains and coatings beautify your existing surfaces, they increase the lifespan of your concrete surface
Concrete resurfacing materials, decorative concrete coatings, and composite coatings are durable and stain-resistant. Concrete coatings will repel moisture and reduce your risk of unsightly cracks or chips in your concrete. These coatings can also often hide oil stains, tire marks and other minor imperfections. Overall, concrete resurfacing and beautification will increase the lifespan of your concrete surface, its curb appeal and upscale appearances with add value to your property not to mention bring you years of pride and enjoyment.
Olson Marble and Stone Care has been serving San Jose and the Greater Bay Area for over 37 years. We are the San Francisco Bay Area's NUMBER ONE choice for ALL your Interior and Exterior Concrete Solutions!
Next month let’s talk a little more about swimming pools!