In order to reseal your concrete or pavers it is important to know what type of acrylic sealer you have down. Ideally, if you have access to the bottle or can, you should be able to tell off of that. If you don’t have access to the bottle or can, and don’t remember the name of the product you used, you can perform a quick test.
The following test will only work if there is a visible surface film. If the sealer has completely worn off, or if it has been removed, you can’t use this acrylic sealer test.
Step 1: First, find an area where you can visible see the acrylic sealer on the surface.
Step 2: Saturate your roller in the roller pan with Xylene. Make sure your roller stays saturated during this process.
Step 3: Using the saturated roller, roll over the coating in a small area. You really only need to test a one square foot area. Continue to roll over that area, keeping the roller saturated with Xylene, for about 30-60 seconds until the coating gets tacky.
Step 4: Analyze. If the coating gets tacky, roll it out and let it cure. That is a clear indication it is a solvent based acrylic because Xylene will turn solvent based acrylics back to a liquid and allows them to re-cure. Xylene is actually a great product for repairing acrylics that have turned white or hazy. If after 60 seconds the Xylene has had no effect on the coating, stop rolling. This is a sign you have a water based acrylic down. Xylene will either have no effect on water based acrylic sealers, or they will cause the water based acrylic to delaminate and turn white.
Still now sure what you have down, or have questions about the process? Visit FoundationArmor.com and talk to a representative!