Concrete Imprinted/stamped surfaces re-colouring/Tint Sealing is not a PAINT

11 Feb Concrete Imprinted/stamped surfaces re-colouring/Tint Sealing is not a PAINT

By Phil Egan – Color Pave Ltd

There is a massive misconception about the re-colouring of a concrete imprinted/stamped surface driveway or patio. THIS IS NOT A PAINT; may people refer to it as paint because it looks like paint. In my opinion, you should never paint a drive because it does not adhere to the surface and will PEEL OFF very quickly. When the installation had been done it would have been sealed then so the idea of coloured drive paint being applied now would be a mistake and would make the driveway or patio look a mess. We must make you aware that if offered a paint for this then question the reason why because it is not suitable.

The correct term is Tinted/Coloured Concrete Imprinted/Sealer Renovator. These coloured products are a High Solids Solvent Based Sealer with an added colour pigment to match the existing driveway/patio main surface colour. Adding this colour will enhance the surface area that and give it back its lustre and visually will look like it is almost new again.

Or the first 2 – 3 years of the driveway/patio being laid the surface area will look great – colourful, shiny, and uniform. When we have a driveway or patio that is 3 years old or older, we then look at re-sealing it and at this point there may be a need to add colour powder to it to enhance the faded colour of the surface. These Tinted/Coloured Sealers are translucent so they do not change the colour of the driveway or patio but bring it back to life. Also there are generally two colours on a driveway or patio because when the printing is done they have to put a release powder down to stop the mats sticking to the surface colour and generally they use a contrasting colour powder thus the term ANTIQUING. These Tinted/Coloured Sealers will enhance all colours equally and bring all of them back to life. So to reiterate if this was a PAINT it would colour the whole surface area one colour and that would look awful.

If your driveway or patio has been unloved for a very long time and the concrete is coming through the colour, then the Tinted/Coloured Sealers are not strong enough but don’t worry we have a two part product that can bring your driveway or patio back to life or even if you would like change the colour of the surface area. This can be done with our Base Coat then Topcoat products. This surface finish would be quite intense, but it is needed to be so that the concrete is fully covered with colour and looks like its old self. The reason for the base coat first is that in 3 years or so you will need to apply another Topcoat to keep it looking great and if you did this in a one coat only the old colour would start to come through and it would look like a patchwork quilt so that is why the Base Coat and then The Top Coat are applied in this way.

I hope you have understood the reasoning behind educating everybody on the facts that these products SHOULD NEVER HAVE OR NEVER SHOULD BE CALLED PAINT.