- Concrete Maitenance Home
- Cleaning and Sealing Exterior Concrete: A Guide to Maintaining and Caring for Exterior Decorative Concrete of All Types
- Sealing Plain Concrete
- Sealing Colored Concrete
- Sealing Exposed Aggregate Concrete
- Sealing Joints
- Tips for Cleaning Exterior Concrete
- How to Maintain Concrete Floors
- Six Common Questions about Concrete Floor Sealers
- Protecting Acid-Stained Floors
- Watch Videos on Maintaining and Sealing Concrete Floors, with Bob Harris
- How to Maintain Concrete Countertops
- Countertop Sealer Overview: Which Sealer is Best For Your Countertop?
- Related Information:
- Concrete Sealer Information
- Comparison Chart of Concrete Sealers
- Advice on Choosing and Applying Concrete Sealers, from Technical Expert Chris Sullivan
Cleaning & Maintaining Integrally Colored Concrete
Davis Colors in Los Angeles, CA.
When properly protected and cared for, integrally colored concrete will retain its color indefinitely. The color extends throughout the entire slab, so even if surface abrasion occurs, the color will not wear away. The pigments in integral coloring admixtures also are chemically stable and won't fade over time from exposure to the weather or ultraviolet light.
Routine Cleaning & Maintenance
To remove surface dirt or stains, follow the same general recommendations for cleaning plain concrete.
Tips for cleaning colored concrete:
- Keep dirt and debris off the surface using a broom, leaf blower or garden hose
- Loosen stubborn stains with a scrub brush or power washer
- Try a gentle soap if water alone isn't getting your colored concrete clean
- Use a specialized concrete cleaner or degreaser for tackling the toughest jobs
Efflorescence Cleaner
Water soluble formula safe for indoor use.
Cleaner & Degreaser
Starting at $10.95
Thin Micro-Topping
Produces durable surface to color or stain
Sealing & Efflorescence
Applying a clear sealer to integrally colored concrete will provide additional protection from chemicals and oil and grease stains. A sealer will also provide aesthetic benefits by adding some sheen and intensifying the color effects. Here's advice on sealing colored concrete.
Efflorescence - a chalky white salt deposit that sometimes forms on the surface of concrete-can be particularly unsightly on colored concrete, especially darker tones. Here are some tips from Chris Sullivan for removing efflorescence on integrally colored concrete:
On colored concrete, protecting the pavement with a cure-and-seal product can help to prevent efflorescence from occurring. (Learn why you should seal decorative concrete.)
Professional Cleaning & Resurfacing
If you aren't able to get your colored concrete clean yourself, consider hiring a concrete cleaning contractor. If your concrete is permantely discolored a professional contractor will be able to offer other solutions to get your concrete looking great again. Tinted concrete sealers or resurfacing are great options.
