Posted by kp on June 22, 2011 under Decorative Concrete | 
Gone are the days of boring old gray and dull looking concrete designs. Today, there are some amazingly creative concrete floor finishes that will add life, vibrancy and a unique touch to your home.
All Seal Exteriors are experts at concrete floor finishes and always stay on top of the latest trends when it comes to concrete flooring and design.
Here are some top Concrete Floor Finishes that are hot right now:
Acid Stain Concrete
Acid Staining concrete is a type of flooring treatment that can be added to existing concrete surfaces to create some stunning decorative concrete visual effects. Acid stain is is a mixture of acid, water and metallic salts that once applied can create a dramatic effect in a wide variety of colors.
Acid stain concrete creates a head turning visual for your flooring and each design is unique, as it depends on how it turns out when mixed with your particular concrete flooring, as well as the colors and design that you choose. The result is always a statement of class and creativity.
Scored Concrete
Scored concrete floor finished create interesting shapes and patterns for your concrete floor design. The scoring of concrete can be done through the use of geometrical shapes and patterns that can be any design that you like and you can add a number of different shades and colors for that extra special touch and originality. Create intricate, bold and original designs to really make your home exterior stand out!
After scoring concrete, the floors need to be sealed in order to maintain their beauty asnd design over the long term.
Stamped Concrete
Stamped concrete is highly popular when it comes to patio and deck design and a stamped concrete floor easily resembles brick, tile and wood, but at a much lower cost.
The process includes using particular tools on fresh concrete to create a decorative concrete appearance, to which you can also add multiple colors and shades for the ultimate design to match your architectural home style/
Concrete Overlays
The quick and easy way to create beautiful new concrete floor finishes is through concrete overlays, which involves pouting a later of tinted and colored polymer on top of an existing concrete floor to add a fresh, new design and look.
Concrete floor finishes do not have to be dull and boring any longer! There are numerous creative and interesting styles and designs to choose from, to add to your original home style or create a new one if you are ready for a change!
All Seal Exteriors is here to help you with design choices, information and a free estimate, Call us today!
Posted by kp on June 20, 2011 under Pavers |
Are you looking for a Brick Paver company in Florida?
There is no shortage of Brick Paver companies in Florida, but you want to find the best, most reliable and efficient company to deal with, that also has extensive experience and can offer you guidance and advice.
Here are some quick and easy tips to guide you in finding the perfect match for your needs and and experienced and reliable Brick Paver Company in Florida:
Tip #1: Check for history of satisfied customers. You can usually find this on their testimonials page and don’t be afraid to ask if you can contact them or see the work performed.
Tip#2: Try to obtain external testimonials from sites like Google Places, Thumbtack, Yelp and Manta.
Tip #3: Ensure that they have insurance. You do not want to be left financially responsible for any damages to your property and that of others.
Tip #4: Make sure they are open and transparent about total project costs so that you are not hit with any unexpected expenses.
Tip #5: Don’t be vague about prices. Get a total budget first with a breakdown of costs. Create a budget that is adhered to and administered by you directly.
Tip #6: View samples of their work online
Are you looking for an experienced, reliable and reputable Brick Paver Company in Florida? Contact All Seal Exteriors for a FREE Estimate today!
Posted by kp on June 19, 2011 under Acid Stain |
Are you looking to remodel your flooring? Acid stain is the latest trend, bringing you attractive design and quality combined with a creative touch.
All Seal Exteriors are the premier Acid Stain Florida Company and can deliver top quality, affordable and highly creative work for anyone looking to redo their current flooring using this amazing acid staining technique.
What does the acid staining process involve?
Put simply it is a process of using the acid to open up the pores that are in the concrete. Then the chemicals contained within the concrete cause a chemical reaction to occur, bring out the desired color and appearance.
It is that simple!
However this is not a DIY job and requires the expert guidance of experienced Florida acid stain contractors who can ascertain things such as age of the concrete, how well the chemicals will react to the acid stain and to what degree, how the salt contained within the concrete will react to the acid.
All of these things affect the color and shade of the final design – something that you don’t want to take a chance on yourself.
The beauty of this process is that each project and design will have a different end result, making it all the more unique, interesting and personalized.
Go for the unique, eye catching design with professionals who know what they are doing. Contact the Acid Stain Florida Specialists – All Seal Exteriors today for a free estimate!
Posted by kp on June 17, 2011 under Ask The Expert |
Do you have any questions regarding Decorative Concrete, Staining, Sealing, Pavers, Driveways or anything else related to the exterior of your home? The experts at All Seal Exteriors are here to help!
We will be featuring a weekly column where you can ask anything that you want and get experienced, expert advice so that you don’t waste your precious time and money.
We are here to help you and provide the most informative and up to date information available.
Today we have a SPECIAL Bonus as an initial promo and are answering 3 top questions received from our readers:
QUESTION 1
I am going to be putting down some stamped concrete soon and was wondering what kind of rock I need to use for the base? Should I be using 3/4 crushed gravel, crusher, or sand? Also how deep does the base need to be? Any help would be appreciated.
Answer: You can use lime rock base 4” thick. For instance, if you get a truck load which is about 20 tons, it will cover about 800 square feet of area. Please make sure to compact the base before pouring the concrete.
QUESTION 2
I have sealed a 3500 sf pool deck twice in the past five years, but last year I sprayed with xylene only. The stamped pool deck was done and originally sealed by someone else about 7 years ago. I need to strip and reseal it, because I think the original sealer is negatively affecting the sealer I put on.
I plan on using a biodegradable stripper, but if I remove some highlighting colors how should I fix that?
But my main question is what sealer to apply? My supplier is recommending J-22 cure and seal. The customer wants something that lasts longer than what they had.
Answer: If you used xylene based then you have to use xylene base to get a good bonding. If you have several layers, then to use a water base, you must sand blast the sealer and apply the new application. On the recovering your original finish, it can only be achieved by ‘antiquing’ the surface which is very specialized and skilled process. All Seal Exteriors can help if the project is local in Florida. Antiquing is not DIY project unless you know how?
QUESTION 3
I stopped by to quote a homeowner to seal his concrete driveway. He also asked that I take a look at his stamped concrete patio. It has been sealed 3 or 4 times and the sealer became built up and is cracked/flaking and whitish. It isn’t a hit it with xylene or reseal scenario. It will have to be stripped and sealed.
I have stripped failing sealers from pavers plenty of time but never stamped concrete. My questions are;
1) will stripping the sealer take off the blackish antique look from the release(I am guessing release gives this black effect) Answer:Yes, the black high light will be gone if you sand blast it. If you use a stripper, it may not.
2) Will stripping have any effect on the colored concrete? (Concrete is colored all the way through. Answer: It may or may not. If the original was done in ‘integral’ color (it not damage or remove color) meaning the color was in the concrete versus dusting the color (it will remove color) on the top which covers about ¼” thickness of the concrete.
3) For stamped jobs that have been neglected to the point where it looks like just colored stamped concrete is there a way to add the black antique look again? Answer: Most definitely yes however; it must be done by a company knows how to do this. All Seal Exteriors can bring the original look back at a fraction of the cost of the original new poured concrete.
Thanks for bearing with me, I am new to stamped concrete and rejuvenating it. Just trying to learn as much as possible before taking on any work.
Have any questions to Ask The Expert? You can leave your questions in the Comments section or through our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you as much as possible!
Posted by kp on June 16, 2011 under Deck and Patio |
As the weather warms up, the outside areas of your home become used far more and this in turn creates greater traffic and a need to care for your patio or deck to maintain its design, structure and appeal.
However, while you are enjoying your beautiful deck or patio, don’t forget that it is important to properly care for them, especially during high traffic times and the heat. Proper care will ensure the longevity of your deck and patio areas and a lesser need for full replacement if they become completely unusable due to decay and damage.
The best way to go about caring for your deck or patio is to hire a professional deck and patio repair company to do the heavy lifting at least once a year. This is a job that is perhaps too big for the inexperienced to take on.
All Seal Exteriors has extensive experience with deck and patio repair, and gets the job done quickly, efficiently and with the maximum attention to details.
Other things that you can do on your own are:
Proper cleaning of the deck and patio surfaces. This means removal of dirt, leaves and grimes that has accumulated on the surface. Pay particular attention to cracks and hard to reach areas. You may also want to repair loose boards or any damage, or hire a professional to do it for you.
The next step in the process is to go deeper into the actual cleaning, normally with a high pressure washer which can be bought at any local hardware store. You can also just use standard soap and water.
If you decide to go with an acid or cleaner – make sure you get advice from an experienced deck and cleaning professional. The last thing that you want is to create further damage and loss of decorative color. Always test an area before continuing with the process.
Following the cleaning job, wait for about a day before going through the sealing process. Not sure how to do this on your own? All Seal Exteriors are experts in Sealing and get the job done right for you, with minimum fuss and mess.
All Seal Exteriors are a team of professionals with extensive experience in deck and patio cleaning and maintenance. Contact Us today for an initial assessment and get the job started immediately so you can enjoy your home exterior this summer!
