Driveways, garage floors and paths cleaned back, repaired and sealed so oil, tyre marks and weather stop soaking into the concrete.
Call Jimmy — 0432 077 782Stained, weathered slabs cleaned back and sealed against oil, tyre marks, leaf stains and moss.
A sealed floor stops shedding concrete dust and wipes down instead of soaking up spills.
Sealing that suits the traffic, with grip considered wherever the surface gets wet.
Cracks, spalls and loose areas dealt with before sealing, so they don't show through the finish.
Jetblack Painting seals concrete driveways, garage floors, paths and patios across Melbourne. Concrete looks solid, but it is porous: oil, tyre marks, leaf tannins and moisture all soak in, and a bare slab weathers and dusts over time. A sealer slows that down, provided the slab is clean and sound before it goes on, which is where most of the work is.
Jetblack Painting is a 5-star rated Melbourne business with 18+ years of experience, $10 million public liability insurance, and a 5-year workmanship guarantee on every project.
A sealer applied over dirt seals the dirt in. Before anything goes on, the slab has to be washed back to bare concrete, and oil and grease need treating separately because they are the stains that creep back through a new finish. Moss and algae are removed as well, since they hold moisture against the surface and will grow back through a coating that was put over them.
White, powdery salt on the surface (efflorescence) is a sign that water is moving through the slab and carrying salts out with it. It can be brushed and washed off, but it will keep returning until the moisture source is dealt with, so it is worth finding out where the water is coming from before sealing.
The slab also needs to be properly dry. Concrete that is damp when it is sealed can trap that moisture, and the sealer can turn cloudy or white as a result. We judge dryness by the surface and the weather, not by a fixed number of days.
Sealers fall into two broad families. Penetrating sealers soak into the concrete and protect it from within. They usually leave the surface looking natural, change its grip very little and are the lighter-touch choice for paths and driveways.
Film-forming sealers sit on top of the slab as a coating. They can deepen the colour of the concrete and add a sheen, which some people want, but they show wear where the traffic is, can be slippery when wet, and generally need to be stripped back before the next coat goes on.
Which one suits depends on how the surface is used, whether it is shaded or in full sun, and the look you want. On visible areas we recommend testing a small patch first, because concrete varies and the finished colour is hard to judge from a sample card.
Driveways take the hardest wear. Hot, turning tyres lift a weak film-forming sealer first, and oil drips soak straight into unsealed concrete. Close to the bay, slabs also see salt air as well as rain, which is one more reason to seal before the surface starts to break down rather than after.
Garage floors are mostly a dust and spill problem. Uncoated concrete sheds fine dust onto everything stored on it, and a sealed floor can be swept and wiped instead. If a garage or workshop needs a floor that is much tougher than a sealer, such as one that will see heavy equipment or chemicals, a coating is the better answer and we cover that on our epoxy flooring page.
Paths and patios are where grip matters. A smooth film-forming sealer on a shaded, damp path can be slick, so those areas are usually better with a penetrating product or a finish with some texture built in.
Sealing protects a sound slab. It does not repair one. A crack that is still moving, a surface that is flaking away in layers, or a slab with sunken or lifting sections needs making good first, and in some cases the right answer is resurfacing rather than sealing.
We would rather tell you that at the quote than seal over a problem and have it reappear through the finish.
Sealing slows down how much water, oil and dirt soak into the concrete. That makes stains easier to clean off, helps protect the surface from weathering, and for garage floors it cuts down the fine dust that bare concrete sheds. It is a protective layer, not a repair.
It can. Penetrating sealers usually leave concrete looking close to natural, while film-forming sealers often deepen the colour and add a sheen. Because concrete differs from slab to slab, we recommend testing a small patch before sealing a large visible area.
Usually, yes, after it has been cleaned back properly. Some stains, especially old oil, can only be reduced rather than removed, because they have soaked deep into the slab. We tell you at the quote what is likely to lift and what is not.
It depends on the sealer and the surface. Smooth film-forming sealers can be slippery when wet, particularly in shade, while penetrating sealers change grip very little. Where a path or patio gets wet, tell us and we will choose a finish with that in mind.
There is no single answer. It depends on the product, how much traffic and sun the surface gets, and how well it was prepared. Sealer wears first where tyres turn and where the sun is strongest, and the practical sign is water that no longer beads on the surface. We advise on this when we quote.
A sealer suits a sound floor that mainly needs protecting against dust and spills. An epoxy coating is a harder-wearing floor surface for workshops, heavy use or a decorative finish. If you are unsure, describe how the space is used and we will recommend one.
We provide this service across Melbourne, including these areas.
Explore our other painting services across Melbourne.