I have a customer who has sealed, stamped and stained concrete. The efflorescence only shows up in the areas where the sun hits the driveway. Is there a recommended process to remove and eliminate this issue?
Do you know what sealer was used? Did you try brushing it? That looks more like a failed acrylic sealer job to me then efflo… either way the sealer will most likely have to be removed to fix it so I would start there and do a test spot.
Yeah, I’m betting that’s not efflorescence. What are the odds the concrete and the bricks having the same naturally caused issue? I bet it’s the sealer
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Rust-Oleum specifically warns that this lacquer can haze when applied to damp concrete or too soon before the first coat dries.
On a small, dry, inconspicuous area, try a nylon brush and collect anything that comes loose. Loose white powder supports surface efflorescence. Nothing brushing off, with the white appearance remaining inside the coating, supports sealer haze, delamination, or deposits beneath the film.
You can try solvent reactivation with acetone or xylene.
That’s a headache job. The correct fix is to soften/reactivate/chemically stripping the failed sealer, physically remove the softened coating, let the slab dry completely, and then reseal it properly. Very nasty toxic work. You’re basically dealing with a squeegee sealer/stripper slurry that has to be contained and disposed of safely. You can’t just rinse it off. That would be a hard pass for me.
