When to seal your concrete in tropical Queensland - and why most people get it wrong.
Sealing is one of those jobs where timing matters as much as product choice. Up here in the tropics, getting the timing right is harder than it sounds - and most people get it wrong in one of two directions.
The common mistake is sealing too early. Fresh concrete needs to release moisture for at least 28 days, and in our humidity it often needs longer. Seal it before it's properly cured and you trap moisture under the seal - that's where the milky patches and bubbling come from.
The other mistake is leaving it too long. Six months of FNQ sun and rain on an unsealed exposed aggregate driveway will open up the surface. By the time you get a sealer on, it's working uphill.
The right window is generally 6 to 12 weeks after the pour, on a dry day, with a few dry days forecast. Penetrating sealers are more forgiving than film-forming ones in our climate - they let the concrete keep breathing.
Placeholder content - Shane will recommend specific products he's had good results with.
"Seal it too early and you trap moisture. Seal it too late and the damage is already done."
- Shane Tusel, founder
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