Cement sealer gone cloudy

[steveolevi]

I have a driveway and footpath that I have sealed twice with TOA A-100 (acrylic) sealer and each time it goes "gloucoma" cloudy after one year. Some areas get alot of sun and other areas not, but the cloudiness seems to not matter about UV or how much sun it gets.

I want to to reseal with somehting that will retain the shininess and look nice for more than a year. The A-100 goes on nice and looks great for a cople of months then starts to look like there is a layer of grey dust on it. .

WOuld I have to strip the A-100 before applying some other sealer?

Any suggestions or brand names would be welcomed.

[steveolevi]

I should add that it looks great when wet. I want that wet look back as it was when I first applied the A-100.

[moench]

Hm,is it. for floor or wall? Is it for floor ,so why you not use epoxy paint

[steveolevi]

The floor is outside (driveway and footpath). I originally used ironic oxide to color the cement, and then applied the A-100 clear acrylic. I'm looking for an different clear sealer that will not go cloudy. bIs there aclear epoxy that will hold up? what about epoxy and UV from the Sun? will epoxy go cloudy too?

Again, I am looking for a clear coating. not paint.

Edited March 6, 2014 by steveolevi

[steveolevi]

I was told by a contractor that the reason for the cloudiness is too much sealer and moisture is being trapped beneath and that to recoat the area would only make the problem worse. This makes sense since the problem seemed to get worse after the second time that I recoated.

The solution, I am told is to use a product calle "Xylene" which will melt the acrylic and allow the air and water to escape. after the xlene evaporates it should allow the existing acrylic to resettle and should look like new.

The question now: where to find an acrylic solvent such as "Xylene" in Chiang Mai.

[moench]

How about this , i find this after google search

[Morakot]

What precisely are you trying to seal on a footpath or driveway?

Are you talking about a (tile and) grout sealer?

Why apply this outside? Are you expecting some food stains on the driveway?

Edited March 6, 2014 by Morakot

[steveolevi]

Both the footpath and driveway are cement. I applied TOA A-100 acrylic sealer to get a protective, glossy finish. Now the sealer has turned cloudy and looks bad. I want to know should I remove the sealer? with what? or just apply a new coat of sealer? If apply a new coat, I want to know of a product that will work on top oif acrylic and not turn cloudy.

This is not a tile question. I am talking about outside cement; driveway and footpath

No food stains.

I am just trying to fix a job that looks bad.

My other threads are seperate questions.

[rawhod]

I was under the impression that cement sealer was to used for sealing the cement before applying a top coat to help prevent peeling. I have used it as such for external cement surfaces with great success.

When applied it does dry to a milky finish.

[steveolevi]

The problem is that the product that I used promotes itself to have a glossy, protective finish. It has turned cloudy and I am looking for a way to regain the glossy finish. So the question is:

Strip the sealer and start over with a different product. (suggestions please)

or,

Apply something else on top of existing (cloudy) sealer to regain the original glossy finish.

[Morakot]

This type of sealer --for sealing concrete surfaces-- tends to be used only indoors. It's purpose is to seal the surface to protect it from discolouration caused by spills and make it less permeable to liquids. It should be applied at least once a year.

A more permanent solution to achieve a finish gloss would be a polished concrete floor. The difference is that this method uses a densifier (in combination with heavy duty grinders) rather than a sealer. This is suitable for outside and inside.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Morakot

[IMHO]

If the clarity looks right when it's wet, it sounds like the sealer has just oxidized, and more sealer would probably do the trick. A patch test is the only way to be sure though.

[steveolevi]

I am going to try lacquer thinner to re-melt the A-100 sealer to let the air and moisture out, and then let it re-dry. I am going to post pictures to clarify what I am attempting to do here..

[steveolevi]

I am going to try lacquer thinner to re-melt the A-100 sealer to let the air and moisture out, and then let it re-dry. I am going to post pictures to clarify what I am attempting to do here..

examples of what I am talking about. notice cloudy areas and the other areas which are shiny again after being brushed with LACQUER thinner. No scrubbing just brush it on. It melts the acrylic sealer and then allows it to re harden. I cannot explain it but it works.

The coloring of the cement is done by adding ferrous oxide (bought at a pool supply shop and a tiny bit of Sulphuric or Hydrochloric acid - home made acid stain)

Edited March 7, 2014 by steveolevi

[steveolevi]

I just finished the rest of the project today. Approx. 60 sq ft. in all. Today I used a hand pump spray bottle (1L) to apply the lacquer thinner. It works great! very easy and does the job well. Much faster than applying with a brush. I found that a lisht coat will melt the acrylic and bring back the shine, but a heavier spray of thinner really leaves a good glossy finish. i am very happy with the results and it cost me about 1/4 of the price to recoat with A-100 or similar sealer. The hardware shop owner was very surpeised at the results. I gained much face for my cleaverness.