Step 1
Clean The Surface Thoroughly
The concrete is cleaned and any tannin or oil staining pre-treated, because sealer over grime traps it permanently.
Bare concrete under this much tree cover absorbs everything that lands on it. Sealing a clean slab keeps tannin, salt, and water on the surface where they belong.
Learn More About This ServiceWhere a Montgomery property has poured concrete rather than pavers, sealing is what keeps it from taking on the character of the trees above it. Concrete is porous, so leaf tannin, winter road salt, and ordinary rainwater soak in rather than sitting on the surface. Under heavy canopy that means dark organic staining that gets harder to lift every season it is left alone.
Freeze-thaw is the expensive part. Water that has soaked into open concrete expands when it freezes, and repeated cycles cause the surface to scale and flake. Sealing reduces how much water gets absorbed in the first place, which is the practical way to slow that damage on slabs that are already decades old.
Order matters. Sealer goes on clean, dry concrete, never over grime, because whatever is on the surface gets locked underneath permanently and the sealer will not bond properly. We clean first, allow real dry time, then seal. Done that way the concrete resists staining and every future cleaning gets easier.
Leaf litter sitting on sealed concrete leaves far less of a mark than on bare, porous slab under Montgomery's tree cover.
Less water absorbed means less expansion when it freezes, which is what causes the surface flaking common on older concrete.
Salt tracked onto walks and drives stays on a sealed surface where it rinses away, instead of soaking into the concrete.
A sealed surface releases dirt and organic film readily, so routine cleaning takes less effort and the result holds longer.
Step 1
The concrete is cleaned and any tannin or oil staining pre-treated, because sealer over grime traps it permanently.
Step 2
Concrete has to dry fully before sealing. Under shade that takes longer, and applying over damp slab causes clouding and early failure.
Step 3
Deep staining and spots that did not fully lift are treated before sealing, since anything left gets locked under the finish.
Step 4
The appropriate sealer is applied evenly and coverage is inspected for a consistent finish across the whole surface.
My walkway is shaded and stays damp. Can it still be sealed?
Yes, but the dry time matters more. Shaded concrete under canopy takes noticeably longer to dry after cleaning than a slab in open sun, and sealing before it is ready causes clouding. We schedule around it rather than rushing it.
Will sealing stop the dark staining under my trees?
It greatly reduces it. Tannin from leaf litter cannot soak into a sealed surface the way it does into bare concrete, so what does land tends to rinse off rather than set in.
How often does concrete need resealing?
Every few years, depending on traffic, sun, and how much winter salt the surface sees. A driveway that gets salted heavily will need it sooner than a shaded back patio.
Is sealing worth it on concrete that is already stained?
Clean it first and see how much lifts. Sealing locks in whatever remains, so we clean and pre-treat before deciding. If the staining is deep and permanent we will say so rather than sealing over it and calling it done.
We also offer concrete sealing in nearby communities. Choose another area below.
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Based in Cincinnati, we serve homeowners across Cincinnati and nearby communities.
Madeira
Loveland
Mason
West Chester
Liberty Township
Hyde Park
Pleasant Ridge
Sharonville
Milford
Batavia