Concrete Stain & Cement Dye Frequently Asked Questions

Triple-S recommends using 1 cup of ammonia per 1 gallon of water. For larger areas, you can use 1 quart Ammonia/5 gallons water. Alternatively, 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda or TSP per 1 gallon of water can also work and for larger areas, you can use 1 cup/5 gallons. We recommend the ammonia/water solution because baking soda sometimes leaves a white residue.

On an average, 70 degree southern California day, AL-70 will likely dry in less than 20 minutes. If it is taking longer, it is being applied too thick. For the our other sealers, please refer to the data sheet to see drying times. Note, all our sealers should be applied at a thickness equal to at least 250 square feet/gallon if not more.

Usually, bubbles are a result of the sealer being applied too thick. This happens when air tries to escape the surface but cannot because the sealer is too thick or because it has dried to quick (esp. on hot days) so it ends up between the sealer and concrete . Adding 16 oz of Acetone will help thin out the sealer so the air bubbles can escape. Also, apply sealers very thin; at least 250 square feet/gallon if not more. Remember- THIN TO WIN! In order to get rid of bubbles, you will have to sand them out with 80-150 grit sand paper and retouch the area.

Depending on which sealer is used and the particular floor in question, some of our sealers can get very slippery. Sometimes, sealers are sucked up by the floor and other times they mostly sit on top of the floor. If the sealer sits on top of the floor, it can become very slippery when in contact with water. In order to prevent this, you must add silica sand or non-skit grit to the sealer to add texture to the floor. The best way to add grit to a floor is to sandwhich it in between two layers of sealer. Therefore, you would apply one coat of sealer and then broadcast the grit onto the sealer while it is still wet. Once it fully dries, come back through and 'sandwhich' in the grit between two layers of sealer with a second coat.

UT-9500. It is better for going under water than the 7030 and chemicals (i.e. chlorine) and salt water will not harm it.

Sealers can be tinted with 'Industrial Colorant'- NOT universal colorant. Any paint store should have these.

Yes. Brick is nice and porous and will accept the sealers very well

200-400 sq feet is 18.58-38.16 sq meters

Fish eyeing occurs when the sealer cannot penetrate the concrete. There might be an existing sealer already on the floor, it might be going over an oil based product, contaminant, or some other reason the AL-70 cannot penetrate. Make sure the concrete doesn't have any type of sealer before AL-70 application. A simple way to test if there is any sort of preventative barrier on the concrete is to pour water on the floor and see if it penetrates. If it does not penetrate the surface, beads up and sits there, there is some sort of coating on the floor.

It will probably hold up to the diluted chlorine but it will not last very long in the direct sunlight that is usually associated with pool placement. You would be better off with UT-7030 because of its UV stability. Make sure to add some non-skid grit around the pool deck, as it can get slippery with the addition of water

Unfortunately no.

Unfortunately no.

Pressure wash floor. Acetone bath. Reapply normally.

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70-30 would be just fine. We would recommend two layers with some non-skid grit added in.

All of our sealers will be too slippery to use without adding some sort of angular non-skid additive. Generally speaking, you add twice as much non-skid for turning radius and ramps. The sealer that gets used would depend on what exact system you are planning on using underneath. Your best bet would probably be to use 2-3 coats of the 70-30 because of its ease of application and durability. It will hold up to the U.V. and hot tires.

This is caused by moisture. Try sanding lightly with 100 or 200 grit sandpaper and wipe off with acetone. This will let it breathe a little bit. But just a little. Don’t sand it all off.

Pin holing is when the product goes onto the floor, bubbles form and pop. Always apply first coat with at least 16 oz. Acetone to prevent the bubbles from forming in the first place. This helps the product penetrate and seal the floor. Backrolling is also a good idea. It evens out the product and pushes the product into the floor. Since the product often times requires two coats anyway, the second coat usually sits on top and covers the pinholes. The first coat is to seal, second coat is to cover and layer.

The 70/30 will be dust ready once dry to the touch. That generally depends on indoor vs outdoor, humid vs dry, heat vs. cold. In ideal conditions, it would be about 3 hours. In poor conditions, it may take 7-8 hours. If it is taking much longer than that, it has been applied too thick. Remember, it needs to be applied at least 250 square feet/gallon.

To reapply, the previous sealer needs to be roughed up so the next sealer has something to stick to. We recommend sanding with 100-200 sandpaper. If the surface is not even, like a stamped floor, can use a black buffing pad and a buffer than you can rent from somewhere like Home Depot. This helps open up the floor and allows it to breathe. Then remove all the dust with an acetone bath. Then reapply new sealer in the normal manner.

Only flat REQUIRES 16 oz. acetone. On esp hot days, acetone is always a good idea. Gloss- not necessary but not a bad idea.