Hi,
I had stamped concrete poured (pool deck) last yr with integral san diego buff color. I did not have it sealed. I am now wanting to seal my pool deck but want to give the color some type of texture. One person recommended that I use a product called EZ pique before sealing the deck with a commercial sealer.

I originally thought of hiring a contractor but at $600 I do not want to pay this every 2-3 yrs.

I was also told to purchase a spray (versus using a lawn chemical sprayer from Home Depot) which costs $150. Is this really necessary?

thanks in advance,

~jvmagic

The sprayer is a must, and sealers are $150+/a pail and powder release is about $60/a pail, anti slip treatment about $26/per pail and xilene $17/gallon,and on top of all this the labor and to know how; as you can see there are quite a few things to buy, and they are not cheap,plus knowledge needed to do it right, you decide.
Good Luck!

what is xilene and what is it used for?
I know that a contractor would be the way to go but at $600 in this economy it's hard to do...I would not like to pay this every few years either.

any DYI out there who can chime in?

thanks for your responses.

xylene is a solvent (thinner). needed to clean brushes etc. no need,... throw away all that. you can roll it,... it will take two coats, sometimes a 3rd, but,... its an easy thing,... just like painting a wall but clear. there are many sealers available,... of all the differnet brands + types i've used to date for exterior, scofield (brand) gloss is it. 215-ish for a 5 gallon pail but worth it.

xylene is a solvent (thinner). needed to clean brushes etc. no need,... throw away all that. you can roll it,... it will take two coats, sometimes a 3rd, but,... its an easy thing,... just like painting a wall but clear. there are many sealers available,... of all the differnet brands + types i've used to date for exterior, scofield (brand) gloss is it. 215-ish for a 5 gallon pail but worth it.

Xylene is used to "carry" color into the concrete. Basically you mix a liquid color in with sealer and the Xylene and the xylene will take the color into the concrete. After the concrete is hard just mixing color in the sealer will not work the color will wear off with the sealer. If you mix the sealer, color, and xylene together the color will soak into the top of the concrete and stain it permenatly. So depending on what you want as a final outcome the xylene is needed.

I agree with Sam k, xylene will be the best choice, because even if you put other solvents, they wont be as effective as xylene and probably you wont be able to create color effects, I am not sure. You better go with it only.

i agree with your opinion！

lifting anchor
Fixing socket
Tilt Up Anchor
Scaffolding Accessories
Plastic Accessories

I use acetone as a carrier for recoloring stamped concrete. It has a smaller molecular structure and drives the color deeper into the surface. Also, if there is any sealer still on the surface, it will re emolsify existing sealer and lock the color in.

As far as sealer.... I use elite Crete's Css emulsion. It's a 53% solids with methyl Methacrylate laced into it. It doesn't come with the carrier so your not paying for the cheapest part of the mix. Costs are around 148.00 a 5 gallon pail. Xylene is my preferrence of carrier and that can be found at Sherwin Williams in 5 gallon pails. If you bicker enough with them you can get the pricing down to around 9 bucks a gallon. Of course it varies with the oil pricing so watch the market and buy cheap. Depending on mix ratios, you can get 10-15 gallons of sealer which puts your total costs from 80-95 bucks a 5 gallon pail. gene