Will concrete sealer darken the color of stamped concrete?

Hello,

We just had Two tone stamped concrete done for our backyard patio. After it all dries up, the color looks so much lighter that what we expected. It’s supposed to be Two tone color (ginger and dark brown) and the contrast is hardly there at all. The overall color is just really light.

However, the contractor said once he put the sealer on the concrete (we are going with clear sealer and very shiny finish), the color will be much deeper. He told me to pour water on the concrete and said that’s pretty much how the color is going to be. Is this true?

I did pour some water on and the color looks so much better and has nice contrast when the concrete is wet, but I am not sure if I can expect the same result with clear sealer.

Thank you so much for your answer!

3 Comments on “Will concrete sealer darken the color of stamped concrete?

  1. Yes! The colors will show much better after it is sealed. For now he has to wait for the work to cure before applying the sealer. So be patient and you will be happy with the end result!

  2. With a shiny sealer that you ve chosen yes it will darken the slab.. Standard sealers generally won t darken the slab ( sometimes a shade) but the shiny sealers will just as your contractor said.. GL

  3. yes, with concrete or stone a sealant will make it look wet

    I’d recommend using a flat or satin finish instead of high gloss-high gloss makes it look cheap & plastic

    you want it to look like concrete or the natural material high gloss will not do that