Need Help Finalizing Outdoor Concrete/Stone Parkway

[Jon]

Hi,

I just finished this project. I used a mixture of 100 lb. of Silica sand and 50 lb. of Riverside cement (several times over!) It looks real nice.

The concrete has cured for about a week now. Unfortunately the stones (actually river rock) have a cement film on them and I was hoping to bring out their color a bit more. Should I seal the concrete? Will that brighten the stone color? Or, should I clean the rocks first with something?

Thanks for any help,
Jon

[Rich]

TileLab has some great products for cleaning and stripping stone, tile, etc. They also have very good sealers. Most Home Depots carry their products.
http://66.70.211.183/TileLab1.html#StoneWash On this page look at the heavy duty cleaner/stripper.

[Jon]

Well thanks Rich!... I'll check those products out. So do you think the concensous around here would be to definitely seal the concrete?

Jon

[Rich]

I would definately seal the concrete. It then becomes a maintenance issue of resealing every 5-10 years, depending on product used, but will give one less chance for water, freeze/thaw, etc to damage anything.