Aquamix Enrich n' Seal Problem

[djacksonoak]

Hi,

I have a slate patio with mortar joints, and I wanted to darken the tinted mortar a bit. So, after thoroughly cleaning the patio using mild dishwashing liquid and water, then Aquamix stone cleaner, I applied the Enrich n' Seal to the mortar on half the patio.

Unfortunately, some of it bled onto the rough slate slabs. Even though the slate had been sealed several years ago using Aquamix sealer's choice gold, the cleaning must have made it porous enough to absorb the enhancer, so portions of a few edges are slightly discolored. This is annoying, but Aquamix customer support said that the enhanced effect would fade over time.

The bigger problem is the mortar, which is unevenly enhanced. It's dark in some places and lighter in others. It looks like something oily was spilled, then partially cleaned up.

I'm posting to see if anyone has any suggestions on how to lighten or even out the mortar without having to repoint.

I've tried Aquamix's nano scrub and sealer remover on a test section, but it didn't lighten the mortar at all. I also have their phosphoric acid substitute but have not tried that yet. Prosoco recommended using their cure and seal remover, then their light-duty concrete cleaner.

In theory, it seems like I have to start by removing the enhancing sealer, then try something to lighten the mortar. I am not expecting to regain the pre-enhanced look - just trying to do whatever is possible without damaging the slate.

Any suggestions?

[Davy]

These are all penetrating sealers so they won't just scrub off. And from my experience, once you seal the grout it's difficult to completely undo what you've done. You also need to know if the different sealers are compatible.

I've sealed slate many times and always sealed the grout and at the same time. I never have tried to just seal the grout, knowing the enhancer would bleed into the slate. A darker grout color should have been used along with an invisible sealer instead of trying to darken it with enhancer which can leave it splotchy like you're explaining. I don't know if you can undo what you've got, maybe seal the whole thing again but compatibility comes back into question.

[djacksonoak]

Thank you for the quick reply Davy.

I understand what you are saying about the sealer, but are there any methods people use to lighten grout in general that I could at least try?

I have read that some try a weak muriatic acid solution, but Prosoco recommends using a quality product like their light duty concrete cleaner instead. They have indicated that their cure and seal remover is compatible with enrich n’ seal, and that their light duty concrete cleaner is safe for slate.

Do you think it’s worth giving them a try?

[Davy]

They do make grout stains but I don't know if it would last long term on your sealed grout, especially exterior. That's not something I would do but you can experiment with it.

I'm not experienced enough in this field to know for sure but lots of concrete cleaners are acidic. Acid will clean but won't remove sealers, I think you would need a stripper first and I can't say if that will work since you have a penetrating sealers.

Like I mentioned, I've sealed a lot of grout and stone but it was always over new work that I just installed. So I'm in the dark with what you have. Hopefully others can help out more than me.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Welcome, Doug.

Even if the slate was sealed perfectly, it’s quite possible the Enrich ‘n Seal penetrated deeper into the grout and bled into the slate from the edges.

While I’d be surprised if you can come to acceptable results after you’ve mixed sealers and have the uneven/splotchy results, I deeply respect ProSoCo for their chemistry and technology. If they claim they can help, I’d give their advice a try.

[djacksonoak]

Thank you both for your input - it all makes sense. I did use some of Aquamix's sealer remover and it lightened and evened out a test area really well. I'll try the Prosoco products and see what happens.

A couple of more questions:

1) For the rest of the patio, where only the slate but not the mortar was sealed with Sealer's Choice Gold, is it worth sealing the mortar with that product after cleaning - or is that likely to result in uneven coloring even though it's not supposed to alter the color?

2) There are only a handful of slabs with noticeable darkening on some edges. Is there an alternative to Enrich n' Seal that's not so dramatic? If those edges wind up being really noticeable, I was thinking a way to lessen the contrast would be to use an enhancer that's not as dark as Enrich n' Seal on the rest of an affected slab. Or I could just leave it alone.

Thank you,

-Doug

[djacksonoak]

Hi,

I am trudging on with the Aquamix product before taking further steps. I see in some posts that there's a recommendation to let the product dwell longer (4-6 hours) if there's a really stubborn sealer in place.

Is that advisable with rough slate? I want to try to strip away as much of the enhancer as I can, but I don't want to damage the slate. I can see that the slate is a bit duller in the stripped areas, but no different from what I recall it looking like before it was sealed the first time with Sealer's Choice Gold.

Appreciate any advice or tips on using the Aquamix product.

[Davy]

I can't say, I do know that the enrich and seal seemed to enhance more than other enhancers. I used it once on some tumbled marble and the designer said to never use it again because she said it enhanced too much. Might have left a little more shine than she liked. But, I never tried to strip it off.