Stamped Concrete Sealer Bubbles

Let the sealer sit overnight and dry properly.

Stamped concrete sealer bubbles.

Usually late in the day is best. As a last resort the surface can be stripped of all sealer cleaned and resealed. When concrete is freshly poured it has a high water content mixing water. After the concrete hardens this water escapes the concrete as a gas water vapor.

If this does not work you will probably need to strip off some or all of the sealer. Unfortunately when applied incorrectly or overapplied you may have issues with bubbles forming in the sealer. Whose fault was it. The pressure causes the sealer to bubble as you see on the left or in extreme cases as on the right it blasts the sealer off the surface off the concrete.

You can learn more about sealing and repair of blisters and bubbles by calling the technical department of most any major sealer manufacturer. Sometimes reapplying the same sealer will fix the concrete blisters and bubbles again try this on a small area first. Use light colors for the slab. Use chemmasters specially formulated bubble resistant products like polyseal ez and stamped decorative concrete.

However if bubbles continue to form then try sealing during a cooler time of year. For any exterior stamped concrete that will be sealed and especially pool decks i have a few hard fast recommendations. Concrete sealer blisters and bubbles as well as concrete sealer whitening are caused by moisture. If bubbles run deep then the sealer is usually on too thick and a solvent bath along with back rolling may be needed.

Adhere to the manufacturer s. Sweep or blow off the dirt and grime wait until there is not any direct sunlight. No need to waste all that sealer or create more problems if it doesn t work. Most decorative concrete sealers are quite sensitive to moisture.

This typically happens to stamped concrete or smooth decorative concrete surfaces. As a last resort the sealer can be removed using chemical strippers then scrubbing and washing the surface of the concrete. Another option if blisters form while applying is to use a leaf blower. How to fix bubbles in sealer if the temperature isn t too hot then apply a new coat of sealer to re liquify the existing sealer.

A xylene bath lightly soaking the problem area with a xylene solvent and back rolling is the first step. Don t over apply sealer which may trap solvents and form bubbles.