Top 5 Mistakes when Concrete Resurfacing
Top 5 Mistakes when Concrete Resurfacing
As your professional concrete cleaning and concrete resurfacing specialist on the Gold Coast we understand that there are a lot of products, tools and methods out in the market place and it can be hard to make the right decision on your own. In this blog we will hopefully provide some insight into the common mistakes people make when attempting concrete resurfacing.
#1 – No prep work before beginning the concrete resurfacing project!
Doing your homework to understand what equipment, products & determining the time that is needed to successful complete the job with a finger on the pulse regarding costs is the main concern. This is so important when DIYing as you can do a lot of damage in a very short time frame costing you big in the hip pocket! (and if you have to call in the professionals to fix your mess the cost will be double than if you engaged them in the first place)
The big initial failure is to not PREPARE THE SURFACE PROPERLY, and by preparing the surface we mean giving it a good pressure clean! And if needed using the appropriate cleaners for your concrete surface. This is so important we have a whole other blog on this;
DIY Concrete Cleaning Gold Coast – How to do it like a professional
Call us anytime on 07 5609 6698 for your FREE professional and economical Gold Coast Concrete Cleaning or Concrete Resurfacing quote.
#2 – Choosing the wrong products to clean your concrete
There are so many cleaners & sealers in the market place & its easy to be sold on there all made in the same factory they just put different labels on them!
This maybe true for some things but not in this game, You need to understand the surface you have, How much of it you have square meters {m2} & what type of finish you want & or what is recommend for the surface i.e. Natural matt, natural gloss, wetllook matt, wet look gloss.
In some case you are restricted to what resurfacing options you have due to slop or angle of the surface & if its classed as internal or external & what slip ratings you need to meet. YES there is a Australian & New Zealand standard for this & it is wise to keep this in mind when picking the surface & the sealer! Did you know in all public spaces shop owners are LEGALLY LIABLE if their surface doesn’t meet the standard if someone may fall & hurt themselves. In this case using a professional, contact us here, is the safest bet, if you have ticked all the boxes this far some recommended DIY products are:
Astute Asset Management are your Gold Coast supplier for Solutions Sealers and Techni-seal. The premium products for cleaning, resurfacing and sealing your concrete surfaces
If you use a poor method to Lay, Clean, or resurfacing your concrete while using a poor quality products you will be forever stuck with what ever finish turns out!! (ASK yourself – are you ready for that?) You will be forever cleaning resurfacing your concrete & it will never look great so if you take anything out of this understand how clean the surface needs to be before resurfacing and sealing
REMEMBER there is Clean; and then there’s clean ready for resurfacing and sealing your concrete.
#3 – Resurfacing concrete at the wrong times
Understand what times of the day are best suited for the chosen task, know what tools are needed to work efficiently as with most products you always want to be working to a wet edge or a join in the concrete so make sure to follow manufactures directions always with every product.
DO NOT seal in the heat of the day or when the surface is exposed to extreme heat!
DO NOT spread the task over several weekends, your finish will be appalling! and to be honest hard to ever bring back to normal!
#4 – Not understanding the correct type of products & quantities
It is Important to know as I’ve touch on above that you understand the products chosen regarding suitability for your chosen area, the life span & what maintenance is required and recommended. You don’t want to be taking up your time & money unnecessarily cleaning & resurfacing your surface more then you have to – We all have better things to do with our time, (expect me! Contact me today to take your worries away).
So if you
- Prepare the surface correctly;
- Use a high quality products;
- Apply the right method;
- Using the right amount of product,
You will see the results 2-5-10-15yrs down the track, this is why you need to ask these (questions you should ask before choosing your pressure cleaner {link this blog})
Once you have done the hard work cleaning resurfacing/sealing correctly to get years of benefits such as:
- Preserving the new look
- Extending the life span
- Quicker & efficient maintenance Saving you time
- Use less water
This is why resurfacing and sealing your concrete surface is a big winner.
Decorative Concrete Driveway – Before clean and reseal
After a professional pressure clean and re-colour seal
#5 – Not having the right equipment
A) Pressure Cleaning
By cleaning your concrete surface evenly and sufficiently to allow maximum concrete resurfacing results, such as deeper penetration and adhesion of the product for long life span (lasting results).
Yes it is a must for every home to have a electric pressure cleaner if you are looking to buy or update your DIY pressure cleaner a few tip when buying a pressure cleaner look at:
- liters’ per minute(L/PM)
- Pound per square inch (PSI)
- Warranty & service (if this is important to you)
- Type of attachment’s you can chose from & the cost as a bundled type package may be better value
I’d say (my tip) anything under 5 L/PM is wasting your time and money. Around 7-10 L/PM is about what you will need & for the PSI 1600-2600 (You can browse & buy from our online shop here or a link to a supplyer that will give us a commission on any sales?). This type of pressure washer is great for maintaining things like the car, wheelie bins, kids bikes/toy/prams/ Car seats, But I often see that people think these smaller units – in this case a boy trying to do a man’s job!
Now I understand, I have been doing this for over 10 years, how therapeutic being on the end of a water nozzle can be, but standing in the sun for hours on end is not everyones cup of tea. If you know how long the cleaning will take and you have the time, energy and done your homework get on the end of that nozzle and enjoy!
If you have realised the job is just to big for you we are here to help – check out our other services
Call us on 07 5609 6698 for your FREE professional Concrete Cleaning and Resurfacing Quote
- House washing Gold Coast
- Tennis Court Cleaning
- Driveway Resurfacing
- Driveway cleaning and Mould Removal
- Industrial Pressure Cleaning
- Chewing Gun Removal
- Sandstone Cleaning
B) Products for pressure cleaning
Not having the right cleaners for the right stain! There are different concrete cleaning products for different problems! Whether its for Grease removal, effloresce removal & rust stain’s removals.
Not reading the product guidelines! having a “she’ll be right out look” or Jo Blow told me so.
Many time I’ve seen people use the wrong type of cleaners & the wrong mixing ratio’s of product. This causes un-repairable damage & possibly costing you big $$, resulting in ripping up of the new surfaces to having a less then wanted finish that your stuck with FOREVER.
C) Sealing products for concrete resurfacing
Make sure you are again researching the manufactures specifications on:
Ensure you have the right tools for the job!
- Personal Protective equipment PPE (Another cost)
- Method/s recommended to apply to the surface having the right equipment for this to happen
- Understand the life span of the sealer chosen, as your time is worth what?
A little math’s on why to chose a high quality product, you have taken the time to research & understand the steps involved, move all items off the surface to be treated, clean with the correct method & right cleaners which costs how much in time & money? Then you put a cheap sealer that last 6-12 months! then you have to do all this again!! No thanks I’ll follow the manufactures guidelines on the high quality product as not to create a false economy
A final note from your Gold Coast Concrete Resurfacing Specialist!
AFTER CARE
So your invested a lot of time & money this far to have your concrete cleaned & resurfaced so it make sense to having the right power equipment & accessories to effortlessly maintain your concrete surface
Yes even after resurfacing and sealing your concrete you need to maintain the surface, much like a car duco,
Must haves are
- Pressure cleaner with right attachments
- Correct products for different spills & staining
- Leaf blower/sucker
- Professional grade mob, mob handle & bucket
- Watering can (mixing product & applying to surface)
- Medium to soft bristled broom (600mm wide) to agitate the cleaner on the surface.
All this will make the maintenance job quick & effective letting you enjoy your outdoors so your hardscape will be a talking point for year to come.
