Blackwater Concrete

Decorative concrete, concrete countertops, outdoor living spaces, and horse pools.

Give your Concrete Surface a Good Cleaning

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This patio was poured some time ago but has maintained it’s longevity with proper maintenance and a resent reseal.

Fall is here and it’s more important than ever to maintain the upkeep on your concrete surface to ensure longevity.

Give your concrete surface a good cleaning. Clear off all the summer grim. Get out the pressure washer and with a mild cleaner, rinse off any dirt.

The leaves are beautiful but can create issues if not tending to. Wet leaves can leave stains or marks on your concrete surface if they are left over time. As soon as the leaves start falling, keep your concrete surface clear of any debris.

If you haven’t already you need to properly seal your concrete. A sealer will improve the appearance of stamped concrete, prevent fading caused by UV rays, and protect it from stains and harmful chemicals. Continue reading Why You Should Seal Stamped Concrete

As the days and nights get colder we need to prep for the ice to follow. Be cautious with the solutions you use on your concrete surface. Concrete can be weakened when subjected to rock salt. While concrete is a tough and durable material, it can and will absorb water. When you put out rock salt to melt snow and ice, the salt dissolves the snow and makes a salt water mix that then enters the pores of your concrete.When the temperatures drop and the water freezes, the pressure of growing ice crystals within the concrete can cause spalling (the surface becomes rough and flaky, and begins to pit). On a low level, this can be purely cosmetic, but it can also result in structural damage. Consider using sand instead.

Give us a call or schedule a follow up to see how your concrete surface is hold up and discuss the proper maintenance options.

Stamped Concrete Maintenance

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While properly poured and cared for stamped concrete surfaces are built to last, seasonal maintenance is a crucial step to the longevity. Now that the colder weather is behind us it’s time to clean up our patios, pool decks and driveways and welcome the summer months!

Is your concrete surface in need of a reseal? Keep it looking as good as day 1. Take a look at this stamped patio poured 3 years ago. With a fresh coat of sealant, the beauty still holds true. Periodic sealing is the best way to protect your concrete from moisture penetration, staining, freeze-thaw conditions, de-icing chemicals, and abrasion. Get on a maintenance plan with us at Blackwater to properly maintain your decorative concrete annually.

Stamped Concrete Maintenance

Check out some other useful tips for keeping your concrete surface clean and clear.

  • Keep the surface free of debris by using a broom, leaf blower, or rinsing with water.
  • Exterior surfaces can be pressure washed or scrubbed with a mild detergent. For interior surfaces, wet mopping or dry dust mopping of the floor is typically the only routine upkeep needed.
  • Don’t allow debris to sit for long periods of time on an area of the surface.
  • There are a variety of ways to remove stubborn stains such as dirt, tire marks, leaf stains, and grease spots. In these cases, water may not be enough. This is when stronger cleaning chemicals or a power washing and scrubbing may be required. Read more about power washing, using chemicals to clean stains, removing oil on concrete.

One of the first patio’s we did 11 years ago. We just re-sealed again, looks like the day we left. Sealer is key!

Fall Concrete Maintenance

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Fall has blown in and winter is quickly approaching. It’s important to maintain the upkeep on your concrete surface to ensure longevity.

Give your concrete surface a good cleaning. Clear off all the summer grim. Get our the pressure washer and with a mild cleaner rinse off any dirt.

The leaves are beautiful but can create issues if not tending to. Wet leaves can leave stains or marks on your concrete surface if they are left over time. As soon as the leaves start falling, keep your concrete surface clear of any debris.

If you haven’t already you need to properly seal your concrete. A sealer will improve the appearance of stamped concrete, prevent fading caused by UV rays, and protect it from stains and harmful chemicals. Continue reading Why You Should Seal Stamped Concrete

As the days and nights get colder we need to prep for the ice to follow. Be cautious with the solutions you use on your concrete surface. Concrete can be weakened when subjected to rock salt. While concrete is a tough and durable material, it can and will absorb water. When you put out rock salt to melt snow and ice, the salt dissolves the snow and makes a salt water mix that then enters the pores of your concrete.When the temperatures drop and the water freezes, the pressure of growing ice crystals within the concrete can cause spalling (the surface becomes rough and flaky, and begins to pit). On a low level, this can be purely cosmetic, but it can also result in structural damage. Consider using sand instead.

Give us a call or schedule a follow up to see how your concrete surface is hold up and discuss the proper maintenance options.

Guidelines for Cleaning and Maintaining Stamped Concrete

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It’s that time of year.
End of summer clean up, fall maintenance and winter prep. Are you taking care of you concrete surface to ensure it lasts? 
To go worry free, get on a maintenance plan with us to properly maintain your decorative concrete annually.
You can also freshen up on a few DIY tips to properly care for your concrete surface. 
guidelines for cleaning and maintaining stamped concrete

Eliminate The Mess From Your Backyard

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Eliminate the mess from your backyard. Do you find yourself getting frustrating when dirt and grass get tracked into your clean floors? Do you have dogs who like to dig, or use the bathroom in the same spot creating dead grass or concentration of unpleasant smells? Is your backyard space in constant shade, therefore create a forever damp area not usable for outdoor entertaining while also harvesting a breeding ground for pests, like mosquitoes? Do you simply hate yard maintenance?

The list of reasons could go on and on but one common factor is the solution. Creating a patio to fit the space you have can fulfill the solution for the source of frustration. A decorative concrete patio is visually appealing and creates a functioning space for any purpose. Another benefit is the simple maintenance. It’s easy to clean, it eliminates yard maintenance, and creates an outdoor entertaining space that can be controlled to the level of your comfort. Small or large, simple or complex in design; design a concrete patio surface that makes you happy!

Cleaning and Maintaining Stamped Concrete

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cleaning and maintaining stamped concreteTime for some spring cleaning! Stamped concrete is durable and can last for a long time when properly cared for.Cleaning your concrete periodically and keeping it sealed with the right concrete sealers are the key components of any good maintenance program. Even professionally sealed stamped concrete will require routine maintenance, depending on conditions and foot-traffic it receives.

Below are are tips for cleaning and treating your concrete surface to preserve its beauty and extend its life.

Here are some general guidelines for cleaning and maintaining stamped concrete:

  • Keep the surface free of debris by using a broom, leaf blower, or rinsing with water.
  • Exterior surfaces can be pressure washed or scrubbed with a mild detergent. For interior surfaces, wet mopping or dry dust mopping of the floor is typically the only routine upkeep needed.
  • Don’t allow debris to sit for long periods of time on an area of the surface.
  • There are a variety of ways to remove stubborn stains such as dirt, tire marks, leaf stains, and grease spots. In these cases, water may not be enough. This is when stronger cleaning chemicals or a power washing and scrubbing may be required. Read more about power washing, using chemicals to clean stains, removing oil on concrete.
  • Periodic sealing is the best way to protect your concrete from moisture penetration, staining, freeze-thaw conditions, de-icing chemicals, and abrasion.
  • Get on a maintenance plan with us at Blackwater to properly maintain your decorative concrete annually.

Our goal is to provide personalized service and distinctive ideas, giving each client and project the full value of our collective experience and knowledge. That’s why we’ve developed a maintenance guide for you, our clients, so that your concrete will look as good as new, many years after installation.

Download the PDF here!

Protect Your Investment

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Looking forward to spending time outside in your decorative outdoor space?  Don’t put off your annual concrete maintenance–you can protect your investment by sealing or resealing those spaces!

Read: Maintenance Tips for Stamped Concrete

Protect Your Investment

When decorative concrete is initially installed, the majority of contractors will use a sealant as a final step. Unfortunately, most homeowners do not realize that resealing their decorative concrete is needed on an annual basis.

Read more: Why You Should Seal Stamped Concrete

Protection Benefits

The protection benefits from concrete sealers are huge! By using a sealer, you can greatly reduce deterioration, extend overall life expectancy, preserve or enhance the beauty of your surfaces, and make surfaces easier to clean and maintain. Here are some basic concrete maintenance steps to complete:

  1. Rinse dirt/debris off stamped concrete surface with a garden hose or pressure washer.
  2. Apply a small amount of liquid dish soap to surface and scrub with a push broom.
  3. Rinse well with a garden hose or pressure washer until there is no sign of soapsuds.
  4. Dry surface completely by using a leaf blower or by waiting 24 hours to air dry. DO NOT APPLY SEALER TO A DAMP/WET SURFACE.
  5. Once the surface is completely dry, apply the sealer as follows:
    1. Apply sealer using a 1″ nap roller.
    2. Apply sealer in approximately 2′ x 4′ sections. This will ensure full coverage without missed spots.
    3. In general, sealer should be applied when air temperature is above 55 F. Best results will be obtained by applying sealer during cooler temperatures — fall and spring — or before 10 am and after 4 pm in summer months when surface temperatures should be under 90 F.
  6. A second coat can be applied after the first coat is tack free (not sticky to your touch).
  7. Your stamped concrete should be resealed every year (more or less depending on other variables such as weather, use/traffic, pets, etc.) to protect your investment. One 5-gallon pail of sealer will cover approximately 1,000 square feet.

At Blackwater Concrete, our goal is to provide personalized service and distinctive ideas, giving each client and project the full value of our collective experience and knowledge. That’s why we’ve developed a maintenance guide for you, our clients, so that your concrete will look as good as new years after installation.  Download the PDF here!

Salt and Concrete – Is It Harmful?

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maintaining stamped concreteConcrete is a magnificent, long-lasting material that can be used for almost anything. However, as Tim Carter points out, “its useful life can be significantly reduced if you do not recognize its weaknesses”.

Concrete can be weakened when subjected to rock salt. While concrete is a tough and durable material, it can and will absorb water. If you’ve ever been outside on a hot day and spilled water on your sidewalk or driveway, you can actually see the water penetrate the surface of the concrete.

When you put out rock salt to melt snow and ice, the salt dissolves the snow and makes a salt water mix that then enters the pores of your concrete. If the temperature then drops and the water freezes, the pressure of growing ice crystals within the concrete can cause spalling (the surface becomes rough and flaky, and begins to pit). On a low level, this can be purely cosmetic, but it can also result in structural damage.

The good news? Concrete which is installed and sealed properly can resist years of contact with rock salt. However, maintaining the sealer on a stamped concrete surface is a must. For maximum protection, it is recommended to seal after new concrete has cured and re-seal your stamped concrete every year for existing concrete.

Learn more about sealing stamped concrete here.

Looking for an alternative to rock salt? Many experts recommend using sand. While it won’t melt the snow and ice, it will provide you with traction.

Concrete Maintenance and Sealing

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It’s early September now – where did the summer go?  It’s been a very busy year here at BlackWater Concrete, and based on our feedback from our customers, it’s been just as busy a year for you as well.  Hopefully, though, it’s not been too busy to  enjoy your stamped concrete spaces! However, in typical fashion, some of us have put off doing our annual concrete maintenance and haven’t preserved those spaces by sealing or re-sealing our concrete. BlackWater recommends at least once-a-year maintenance activity and it’s certainly not too late to start your maintenance for this year.

 

Here are some basic concrete maintenance steps to complete:

1. Rinse dirt/debris off stamped concrete surface with a garden hose or pressure washer.

2. Apply a small amount of liquid dish soap to surface and scrub with a push broom.

3. Rinse well with a garden hose or pressure washer until there is no sign of soapsuds.

4. DRY surface completely by using a leaf blower or by waiting 24 hours to air dry. DO NOT APPLY SEALER TO A DAMP/WET SURFACE.

5. Once the surface is completely dry, apply the sealer as follows:

·  Apply sealer using a 1″ nap roller.
·  Apply sealer in approximately 2′ x 4′ sections. This will ensure full coverage without missed spots.
·  In general, sealer should be applied when air temperature is above 55 F. Best results will be obtained by applying sealer during cooler temperatures — fall and spring — or before 10 am and after 4 pm in summer months when surface temperatures should be under 90 F.

6. A second coat can be applied after the first coat is tack free (not sticky to your touch).

7. Your stamped concrete should be resealed every year (more or less depending on other variables such as weather, use/traffic, pets, etc.) to protect your investment. One 5-gallon pail of sealer will cover approximately 1,000 square feet.

Remember, the finish on your concrete is similar to the finish on your internal floors.  It does need maintenance and care to keep it looking fresh and new. BlackWater recommends Con-crete Werks Sealer, a made-in-America product that we trust with any job (Check them out here). You can order the sealer directly from the site, or have us deliver the sealer to you at a nominal charge. If you want your concrete sealed by professionals, BlackWater offers a sealing service – call us at 540-535-7440 for a quote.
In the meantime, enjoy September and your stamped concrete!  We’re looking forward to wonderful remainder of 2015!

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At Blackwater Concrete our goal is to provide personalized service and distinctive ideas, giving each client and project the full value of our collective experience and knowledge. By combining the broad based skills of our artisans and the best in disciplined professionalism, we … [Read More...]

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118 South Cameron Street
Winchester, VA 22601

(540) 535-7440
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