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Sealing concrete – things you need to know BEFORE you start

Sealing concrete – things you need to know BEFORE you start

You can DIY your driveway, paths, patio, pool area or garage, just as long as you know some simple rules before you start

 

Sealing is a process and system that you need to understand before you start:

  • Inspect and understand the existing surface and its history of what’s in the substrate (is there previous sealers? They need to be removed first)
  • Knowing the correct sealer to use for the surface (a penetrating sealer will provide an invisible look and will not make it any more slippery for example)
  • Sourcing the best sealant from quality manufacturers (cheap sealers may not last and unsuitable to re-seal over later)
  • Getting quality advice for any specific variations (a contractor or professional sealing shop)
  • The process and all tools to apply the product correctly
  • Cleaning and preparing your surface to accept the correct sealant
  • Application rates and best practice processes – taking into account the best time of the day, rain, heat, wind, moisture content, surface adhesion etc.
  • Careful and consistent application to avoid roll lines
  • Ensuring the surface will not be more slippery than previously
  • Recording and maintaining the surfaces in best condition

 

Being let down in any area can lead to:

  • Blistering/Delamination
  • Whitening of the surface – often only in patches
  • Excessive bubbling
  • Imperfect application – too little or too heavy
  • The sealant not lasting very long
  • A slippery surface

 

Why is sealing so important? 

Hard surfaces are low maintenance – not maintenance free! If you want to avoid staining, mould and deterioration of your surfaces you need to seal. Sealing can prevent 99% of water, oil and contamination penetrating the surface which leads to most early deterioration and dirtiness issues in exposed surfaces.

 

If you really want save money by clear or colour sealing, ensure you get the right advice, tools, products and processes, and apply by the rules, not what you think will work!

If you want some professional advice, because everyones property is different, please contact us at Hurricane Maintenance Services. We have been applying coatings over concrete for quite a few years, and understand what works and what doesn’t, avoiding costly mistakes.

 

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How to colour seal concrete like a professional

Colour Sealing is applied to concrete to protect it, reduce the chance of staining, hide cracks and give a completely new decorative look and can match into your house colour.

Generally you would colour seal driveways, paths, patios, pool areas and garages, when they are in poor condition – as it allows you to repair and cover any imperfections. Also when you want to lift the appearance of your property – like just before you sell.

Guide for colour sealing concrete like a pro:

Select the type of sealer you need

There are so many on the market, but like so many things – choose products where you feel you can trust the manufacturer, and also the contractor. This generally means a conversation and quote. We use a primer and water-based colour seals as they work, last a long time – 5 years plus before they might fade and need a recoat.

Pressure Clean

You still need to high pressure clean, but don’t 100% need to use chemicals unless the surface is really mouldy and stained. I use a chlorine wash at 10 or 15:1 to kill mould on the surface.

Stains

Oil stains can generally be removed with degreaser and high pressure on the spot.

Rust stains can generally be removed with acid and high pressure on the spot

Apply chemicals straight or slightly diluted (1:1 up to 5:1) Don’t let any chemicals dry on the surface! Apply then remove within 30secs to 2mins if possible

Water in concrete

Concrete is porous and will therefore let in water. Water when wet will remain in the concrete (even if the surface looks dry) for quite a few hours depending on if its shaded, the ‘softness’ of the concrete and a few other factors. Leave 6-24 hrs depending on conditions to seal.

Repairs

We fill cracks with a flexible polyurethane which we know works and we can cover it accurately with coatings. Fissures and other holes or gaps can be filled with more concrete-based filling products. Expansion joints need to be left open to allow concrete movement.

Application

We roll out sealers – with a pole, roller, nap and paint brush. We find we can get an even finish and it provides the right amount of sealer. (Spraying sealer can often provide only a fraction of what rolling does so the client doesn’t get value for money).

Sealers don’t like being constantly rolled, so you will need to dip into your drum roll one way, then finish by rolling the other, leaving the finish even and consistent.

If you have any questions, be sure to contact me, and I would be more than happy to assist you.

Hurricane Maintenance Services can provide all your colour sealing needs in the greater Brisbane area, Qld.

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Add value to your property with Driveway Sealing

When you receive visitors, the first impression that they get of your home is from the driveway of the property. If a driveway does not look well kept it can often give a poor impression.

If you’re planning on selling the home or have it listed already with a real estate agent this should be seriously considered. Concrete driveway sealing can give a driveway a new look and it will add value to the property right away. There are a lot of benefits that come with concrete driveway sealing.

One of the key benefits of driveway sealing is that it prolongs the life of a driveway. It also creates a coat over the pavement that will not change no matter what the circumstances are. Another benefit of driveway sealing is it protects driveways from elements such as dirt, oil and chemicals as well as moisture from rain getting into the pavement.

For a professional driveway sealing service such as Hurricane Maintenance it is something we do routinely but recommended to only attempt if yourself if you have experience in this as there can be issues that occur from doing it incorrectly, which can be quite expensive!

Professional driveway sealing is a cost-effective method of making the existing driveway pavement better.

Driveway sealing is also a cost-effective method of repairing or surfacing the existing pavement that makes the lifetime of the driveway and pavement longer. Driveway sealing also slows down oxidation and harm from the harmful rays of the sun. The sun causes the essential oils and binders to dry out that makes the driveway brittle and more susceptible to cracking. The coloured sealant used in driveway sealing is a dark material and, for this reason, it gets hot when the sun hits it. Due to the fact that the sealant becomes more pliant when it is hot, it is more flexible. It is less likely that a driveway after the sealant is applied to it and it can hold up to general wear and tear. The material used in driveway sealing is also very easy to take care of and maintain. They can just be swept with a broom or if they are cleaned with water, there is no need to be concerned about the water seeping into the driveway.

If you are in need of your driveway being sealed in the Sunshine Coast or North Brisbane regions, be sure to contact Hurricane Maintenance, the surface sealing experts.

We are one of the leading specialists in driveway maintenance and sealing.

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3 ways to freshen up your home for Summer

Summer is coming up quickly. You want your home to look amazing for entertaining, for those barbecues and of course, pool parties. Your driveways, pathways and pool areas all get worn down, dull and worn out from day-to-day life. Get your home’s exterior surfaces ready for summer with Hurricane Surface Maintenance, and those damaged and aged surfaces will look just like new in just a matter of time.

Your driveway is often the first thing your guests or company will notice when pulling up to your home. You can bring back the shine to your driveway with our maintenance services. You will want to start with our pressure wash intense cleaning followed by the perfect sealant chosen for your specific needs. Your driveway will look like new and it will be ready to withstand the harsh chemicals and elements, the heavy rains and all that it is exposed to every day.

We can smooth out your walkways by removing rough spots and tripping hazzards, then power wash them to remove the dirt, mold and elements that accumulate throughout the year. Once your pathway has been thouroughly cleaned with professional pressure cleaners, we then seal it to protect it from further damage, extending the life of your surfaces all while increasing its beauty.

Finally, what would summer be without having some friends over to take a swim in the pool! Your pool area will be so much more safe and appealing when it has been cleaned and sealed. Even better, allow us to treat the area with a beautiful and durable non-slip surface, so there will be less chance of children or even guests slipping.

Maybe you’re wanting more than just cleaning and sealing, maybe you would like a brand new look for your exterior surfaces. Talk to us about some fresh and innovative options such as grinding down your surface and creating a new decorative look! We can help you get your home ready for the coming summer months. When you choose Hurricane Surface Maintenance you will be choosing a company with integrity and many years of experience. We are a company that cares about our clients. We are licensed, registered and insured, with a fully qualified and friendly team ready to make your exterior surfaces look amazing! Give us a call today for a free quote.

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The benefits of Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy flooring can be very beneficial to your home or workplace as well as being essential to them.

This type of floor sealing can be especially beneficial to carports, workshops, storage areas, game rooms, and also businesses. There are a lot of benefits of using epoxy flooring floor sealing in comparison to just using paint.

One thing that makes floor sealing different from paint is that epoxy sealing will not crack or get scuffed like a painted floor will which will give the person that gets this type of flooring the piece-of-mind that their floors appearance will not change over time. Floor sealing will also safeguard floors against stains and/or spills like oil spills and other things that may stain a floor. Epoxy flooring is also easy to clean as you just have to wipe it clean. People that get epoxy flooring also have the option of making it non-slip which ensures that people will not slip and fall on their floors which is great for businesses that have a lot of traffic like restaurants and stores. For this reason, people will not fall in a home or business and a lot of accidents can be prevented. Another benefit of epoxy floor sealing is that it is durable.

Durability is another benefit of floor sealing because not only does this type of flooring last longer, it also can stand up to a lot of wear which saves the people that get this type of flooring that they can spend on other business expenses or non-business expenses if they need/want to. Floor sealing is also strong due to the fact that once it becomes a solid polymer, it becomes very strong and prevents chemical breakdown. People that get epoxy flooring also save time because the installment of this flooring is easy and fast which means people do not have to stay off for the floor for a long which is especially beneficial to businesses because they lose business when they cannot have traffic on their floors. Floor sealing is aesthetic as well because they are typically available in a great variety of colors and styles to accommodate the style of anyone that needs and/or wants this type of flooring.Epoxy flooring is also environmentally friendly because it allows for fewer materials to be used when flooring is being installed.

If you are in need of epoxy flooring in the Brisbane or Sunshine Coast regions, then contact Hurricane Surface Maintenance.

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3 types of Driveway Sealing to add value to your Home

A little time spent patching and sealing your driveway can extend the life of the driveway and improve the curb appeal—and value—of your home.

Before you apply a topcoat sealer, you must inspect the driveway and make the necessary repairs.

Hurricane quality products, advice, equipment and processes will give you a great looking driveway. It will assist you in avoiding expensive mistakes that lead to delamination, whiteness and blistering or premature ageing.

Inspect your driveway and make note of any cracks, oily stains, potholes, or areas that are crumbling. Pay particular attention to the very end and edges of the driveway, which are especially susceptible to damage.

If you find oil or grease stains, try removing them with hot, soapy water and a stiff-bristle scrub brush. Most driveways will have at least a few cracks, which must be repaired before you apply a sealer. It’s important to repair all cracks. If you don’t, they’ll only grow wider and longer over time. Before applying any filler, use a wet-or-dry vacuum to clean the cracks of loose dirt, grass, stones, or other matter. If necessary, use a slotted screwdriver, awl, or similar tool to pick out any trapped debris, grass, or weeds.

Check the weather forecast before applying sealer. Depending on the sealer used, you may need two to three days of dry, sunny weather for the sealer to set and dry properly. Make sure the driveway’s surface is completely dry before starting.

Hurricane quality products, advice, equipment and processes will give you a great looking driveway. It will assist you in avoiding expensive mistakes that lead to delamination, whiteness and blistering or premature ageing.

Colour seals will add a complete single colour to the entire driveway surface. Colour seals are ideal for hiding old and tired concrete or providing the right colour to tie in with the colour of your house.

Clear sealing solvents give a ‘wet look’ and darken the surface of the driveway. These are popular for people to bring out the best in their exposed aggregate, decorative concrete or just plain concrete. Water based clear sealers are less obvious and better for the environment.

Penetrating sealers are best for stone, paving and surfaces other than concrete. They are invisible coatings as they penetrate the surface. Water can be seen beading on the surface with the correct application of the right sealer for your surface.

Hurricane Maintenance also provides services for the Sunshine Coast and North Brisbane homes.

Their services include pressure-cleaning, grinding, non-slip and concrete repair and ensuring that sealing and epoxy coatings provide long term protection.

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Non-Slip Flooring Treatments for a Safer Home

Whenever you are building a house, you should be able to foresee some of the problems that you are likely to encounter once it is finished.

One such problem is slippery floors in the event that the floor is too smooth. This is the reason why we advise that you have a Grip Guard Non-Slip Flooring treatment available on the Sunshine Coast from Hurricane Maintenance. It will prevent one from sliding and falling either when the floor is wet or otherwise. There are many benefits that you will enjoy from such a floor design as explained below:’

 

  • This is the best material to have near swimming pools since the place gets wet all the time. It will help prevent falls when walking around, from or into the pool. The guard, however, is able to prevent this by modifying the floor. Do not worry that the place will no longer be attractive as the guard does not change the appearance of the floor. This can prevent possibly expensive legal litigation of someone falls on your premises

 

  • The slip guard finish does not wear or tear with time since it is not a coating of the original floor. Once it has been applied, it embeds itself into the floor that was originally there making it durable. This means that even after many years of use, it will still be very effective and preventing slips. Some of the guards that are there are Duragrip PU anti-slip sealer, StepRight entrance matting, sure steel and Polystud among others
  •        No matter the type of floor that you had earlier, this guard will be just perfect. It has been designed in such a way that it can easily attach itself to all types of floors like slate, limestone, and tiles among others. You will therefore not have to change your floor materials just to install the guard which makes it very convenient.
  • The other thing is that material can be used in any place. It is environmentally friendly, therefore, can be used I homes, offices, aquatic areas or hospitals.
  • Before the material is installed in the whole building, you will have the chance to test it on a small area to determine just how effective it is. This ensures that you pay for only if you are satisfied with the results.
  • The non-slip guard adds the overall value of your home. Therefore the house will earn you more money if you want to sell it. It is however very cheap to install.

This is the perfect installation in a house where there is an elderly person. Many old people easily fall off slippery floors which could be dangerous.

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Commercial Non-Slip Flooring for a safer workplace

There are many accidents that happen at workplaces, but the most common ones are those who are as a result of falling the main cause being slippery floors. Many corporate buildings designers have the idea that the very shiny, smooth floor finishing is the best, but it is also very dangerous too. This is the reason why we have come up with the nonslip flooring materials which make the workplace safe and at the same time looking elegant and classy.

Installing these guards ensures that there is no legal responsibility for any employee who falls and hurts themselves. There would also be a great loss of income when one or more employees are out on medical leave. The pain and the expensive litigation can all be avoided altogether. Do not worry about the installation cost as it is very cheap and affordable. You will also not have to stop the daily running of the office as it can be installed while everyone is still working. This is very convenient.

Besides the guard, everyone also needs to ensure that any other material that is a potential risk is removed immediately especially in fast food areas where there is a lot of food materials falling on the floor. Dirt, grease or water on the floor is very dangerous with or without the guard. This is the reason why the work area should be cleaned every day or as often as possible.

It is crucial that the slip resistance of the floor is often measured to ensure that the place is safe all the time. There are some areas that could have been okay when the building was new but due to wear and tear; the pace gets too smooth. This would make it necessary to have a nonslip guard installed in that area so that it can continue being safe.

One of the best things about this guard is that it does not wear or tear over time. There is also no possibility that it will peel off. Once it has been applied, it embeds itself with the floor creating a permanent coating. This means that there is no extra cost that you will incur once it has been put in place. This is a perfect solution for the area where the elderly stay since they are the ones at the highest risk.

For the results to turn out great, the work has to be done by a professional which is exactly what we deliver. We also ensure that we have measured the floor resistance before and after the installation free of charge so that you can rest assured that we indeed have offered the best.

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The benefits of pressure cleaning your home

All the surfaces around the home need to be properly cleaned for a variety of reasons. In the event that you cannot do the cleaning yourself or other cleaning methods have failed, call us today and we will do pressure cleaning. Pressure cleaning is a safe, fast and effective method that will leave that surface spotlessly clean.

There are certain chemicals that are used, which is the reason why our work is so good. These chemicals have the ability to remove those stubborn stains that have been there for years. Our goal is to clean the place without having to redo it again after a few months. The idea here is to have the place cleaned, and it remains that way for years.

This cleaning method can be used in both residential and commercial areas. Some of the most common areas where our clients want us to clean include drive ways, removing mold and sanitising the area, car parks, sealing the cleaned areas for future protection, walkways, perimeter walls, patios, rubbish bins, pools areas, cleaning the entire house and also commercial buildings that are up to two stories high. In short, you can hire our services to clean just about anywhere.

Want to increase the value of your home just before a sale? Then it is as simple as cleaning it thoroughly. We will ensure that there is no dirt in any corner of the house; the buyer will definitely be willing to buy it for more.

The safety of your loved ones as well as pets is your priority. This is the reason why you have to keep the whole place clean so as to avoid contamination. Children and pets crawl around the house, and if it is not clean, they might acquire disease causing micro-organisms. The elderly who are also prone to diseases should live in a clean place to avoid contracting diseases.

So why choose us over the other companies? Firstly, we use the best equipment which means the work is done effectively and fast. Secondly, we also use the best products in the market which make the results the best. They are also environmentally friendly and biodegradable. Thirdly, our cleaners are experienced professionals whose work is the best in the region. Finally, our goal is to ensure that the result is long lasting which is the reason we seal the cleaned areas to avoid re-growth of mold and to ensure that cleaning in the future will be easy and fast.

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Add Life to Your Driveway with Surface Sealing

When you look at your driveway, patio or other concrete surface, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? If you are like most people, you just see it as another structure around your home. However, patios, driveways and other concrete slabs can be much more than that with the help of surface sealing. Even if you never thought about sealing your surfaces before, there is no time like the present to look into it for your home. Just check out some of the benefits that come from surface sealing.

It protects your surface from the elements.

When you have the surface of your driveway or patio sealed, you can help lock out the rain and sun. In doing so, you don’t have to worry about the surface of your driveway or patio becoming dull and faded from the sun washing out the colour. When the rain gets between all of the stones or bricks, it can cause them to shift and crack, essentially leading to what is referred to as concrete cancer. You want to keep the area as clean and dry as possible to keep your surface lasting longer.

It helps improve the appearance of your surface.

Regardless of how you look at it, you want the outside of your home to look as nice as possible. Your driveway and patio is no exception to the rule. With surface sealing, you can bring your surface to life and add in a new colour that is going to catch the attention of anyone coming to visit your home. Choose to go with a slightly darker colour than the one you have now or go with something completely different to really make your surface stand out.

It helps make cleaning the surface a snap.

Who wants to spend hours cleaning and scrubbing their patio, sidewalk or driveway? No one does. When you go with surface sealing, you won’t have to. You can easily wash and sweep your surface to leave it looking sensational at all times. The sealant also helps protect the surface from possible staining or damage.

Don’t leave your surface to chance. Turn to the help of our team of professionals to come out and get your surface taken care of for you quickly and easily. You deserve to have a beautiful looking surface and now you can have just that all by doing one simple thing.

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