This post was most recently updated on May 2nd, 2023
Stamped Concrete or Paver Sealer Turned White
Thank you for visiting Concrete Sealer Review throughout 2023 and beyond for concrete and brick paver sealer tips and advice. In this article, we explain what causes concrete or brick paver sealer to turn white sometimes, and what you can do to fix it. If you have any suggestions for the best way to fix concrete or brick paver sealer that turned white, or if you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment below.
Paver Sealer Turned White
Why has my Brick Paver or Stamped Concrete Sealer Turned White?
This is a very common question and a fairly common occurrence. Typically, this happens to filming acrylic-based sealers that leave a shine on the surface. These sealers are typically applied to brick pavers and stamped concrete surfaces to enhance the overall appearance.
There is no one specific reason that your old sealer has blushed by turning white or cloudy, so there is no one remedy to fix it. In this article, we will go over the main reasons that your sealer has failed so you will be able to fix this problem permanently.
Cheap Acrylic Sealer
In general, just stay away from the paint stores or Big Box stores brands. These “wet look” sealers have a high failure rate due to the inferior acrylics used.
Solution: To fix you will need to remove the sealer with a concrete or paver sealer stripper. We use the Clemons Concrete Sealer Stripper or the RAD PaintStrip. Both are excellent strippers.
Trapped Water/Moisture and Over Applied Sealer
Trapped moisture under the sealer is the most common reason that the sealer has turned white. This happens to sealers that are not breathable or over-applied. The sun will raise the moisture out of the concrete or bricks but the water cannot escape as it is trapped under the sealer.
Solution: Applying a solvent such as Xylene or Lacquer Thinner will emulsify the current sealer, removing the trapped moisture and restoring the shine. Not a guaranteed fix but is worth the attempt.
Solution 2: If the solvent does not work, you will need to use a sealer stripper to remove it and start over. We use the Clemons Concrete Sealer Stripper or the RAD PaintStrip. Both are excellent strippers.
Efflorescence Salts Trapped under Sealer
Efflorescence is a soluble salt that raises to the surface of the concrete after it is installed. This may never form or may take up to a year to show. Make sure that all efflorescence is removed prior to sealing the surface.
Solution: Strip off the sealer first, then use an efflorescence cleaner to remove the white residue.
Polymeric Sand Issue (New as of the last few years)
We have seen more and more issues with polymeric sand installs. Not so much an issue with the sand, but with poor installation. Polymeric sands are installed by sweeping the sand into the joints, then blowing off the excess from the top of the surface. The sand is then misted with water to activate the polymer bond. The problem arises when the sand is not completely removed from the top of the surface prior to misting with water. Polymeric sand in many cases contains “cementitious” properties. This, when activated by water, may leave a thin layer on top called a “poly haze”.
Solution: Strip off any sealer, then use mild acid or white vinegar to remove the poly haze.
Please ask any questions you may have about removing the white haze from your brick pavers in the comment area below.
Stamped Concrete Brick Paver Sealer Turned White
As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing, concrete sealing, and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior restoration. Scott and his restoration Michigan company have restored over 10,000 projects in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the restoration industry and has contributed to numerous restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
Hi, I had my patio sealed a few days ago and I see some minor, uneven application. Pavers are 15+ years old and have not been sealed for past 10 years while I owned the property. Are these small streaks common? They are only visible in certain light conditions. Pictures intensified them.
Did you use a polymeric sand?
Yes
Sealcoating was done 10 days after the power washing and sand. We had some rain in between so sand was settled and washed off the surface.
You have poly sand haze:
https://www.concretesealerreview.com/what-is-poly-sand-haze/
To fix it, you need to strip off the sealer first and then clean off the poly sand dust.
Hi Scott. I had my patio poured and stamped 4 weeks ago. The contractor pressure washed it twice. The last time was 8 am on the day he used a sealer/curer around noon. It was hot and sunny the day it was done. After a few days, these creamy grey “dots” started showing up around the edges. I was told they would go away as the concrete cured. They have now spread all over the patio. I’ve had people come look at it and they have no idea what it is. It does not look flaky at all. Have you… Read more »
Post a picture when dry and what sealer did he use?
This is one small section dry. The dots are smaller in the middle but it is all over the concrete. I asked if he could wait 30 days before sealing and he said he didn’t need to because it was sealer with a curing agent. I don’t know the exact brand. I’ve asked several other concrete people and it has everyone stumped
Sorry but not sure what the issues is.
Ok. Thank you for trying Scott.
Hi Scott, why does my stamped concrete patio look like this after 2 attempts of soy stripper?
That is beacuse you have not stripped it fully off. Soy strippers are not very effective.
Hi Scott,
I just paid a power washing company to powerwash and seal my patio. It appears the Sealant only took in certain sections. Is there a reason for this? I was hoping the Sealant would give the entire stamped patio a wet look? Is there something I can do to fix this? Help!
You should ask them to fix this. It should give an even wet look.
I did and he did try but it just didn’t take in those areas. Is there anything I could use on my own to try and remedy those areas?
No. You would have to strip it all and start over.
Used Superseal 30 clear on stamped pool deck last year, and a month later it started to turn gray/white. If we decide to strip it and apply a new sealer, what would you recommend? DecoGuard?
The SS30 does ot turn white. It is something underneath it that is causing the issue. Could be moisture or a prior sealer that was used. Try spraying down all of the patio with Xylene solvent. It should restore the shine to the SS30.
Does the xylene solvent strip the SS30 off?
Xylene is not a stripper but a solvent that emulsifies the sealer and restores the shine.
Hello, I had my stamped concrete patio done last year, and now we noticed a lot of white areas. What can I do to fix it?
You will need to remove it fully. Try the RAD PaintStrip product.
https://www.opwdecks.com/rad-paint-concrete-paver-sealer-stripper.htm
Scott, thank you for the quick response. Would you be able to explain why this happened? Was too much sealer used?
Could be many reasons as the above article explains. We cannot say for certain what the cause was. If we were to guess, it was a cheap sealer.
Hi. Last Summer we had our pavers professionally sealed looked beautiful now after this winter (live in the northeast) after all the snow is melted and the temps are warming up noticed white areas on the pavers, scattered sections.
You will need to strip this to fix it. See the article above for help.
we need to strip the entire patio area correct? This area is not only our pool area put our attaching patio area it was a fortune to seal I can’t imagine now stripped and resealing it OMG!
Yes, all. Not possible to spot strip.
Hello Scott, we just had a patio put in last Thursday 4/6/23. Color is supposed to be a khaki color, but entire thing is white. Installers said they sealed already. Is that possible to do when it hasn’t yet been a week? And is the issue the seal? Thanks for taking the time to respond.
You can seal right away if the sealer is a cure and seal. The only way to fix it at this point is to remove the sealer, restain as needed, then reseal.
Hello Scott, Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. A buddy and myself poured and stamped a concrete patio 5 years ago. My wife and I have sealed this patio religiously each year (sometimes twice) thinking we were doing a good thing. We used Super Diamond Clear. Now it is very dark looking in some places and one spot has a removed surface layer now showing some of the gravel. I believe this is where moisture has built up and caused the concrete to crumble a bit. I assume the Clemons concrete sealer stripped will do the trick… Read more »
Yes, you need to strip this to fix this. Using the Clemons Stripper and pressure washing will get it off. follow that with the Clemons Concrete Cleaner Degreaser. There is nothing you can do about the release as you have no choice but to strip this.
Ok thanks. So it sounds like some of the darker shades/antiquing will be removed during the stripping process? Kinda worries me but I guess I have no choice.
I’ve read enough of your stuff to know I should also avoid Super Diamond Clear in the future, correct?
Diamond Clear is as solid acrylic which means it is not breathable and that can lead to discoloration in the future.
Hi there I stumbled on this site and think I know the answer based on other pictures, thank you so much for this resource. I have a dark grey stamped concrete patio with about 10 spots like this that look like this. They have shown up at different times, unless I’m losing it. They also do not shine, very dull and if apply water they look slightly brown. If applying xylene can I do with a brush in affected areas?
Not sure xylene will fix this but it would not hurt to try as the alternative is to strip it all off. Just apply xylene to affected areas and let it dry.
Thank you! What would stripping do? What do you believe the issue is from a glance? Thanks!
Stripping would remove all the sealer. Hard to say what the issue is.
Hi just had Concerte stamped installed they left it for 5 days came back and cleaned it and dry it with a blower and then applied two layers of wet look sealer called creteprint gloss lusterseal. It looked great for a week and then started seeing white dry marks. When it rains it looks great and when it’s dry the patches start to appear. What can be done to remedy this. The sealer is supposed to be oil and chemical stain proof according to the manufacture web site. I am in the uk. Also I seen lots of talk about… Read more »
Try the xylene first to see if that fixes it. You can do it now.
here is my stamped concrete backyard which has color, looked nice for few days. After few days once backyard is sun dried, it left clear white marks all over. Can you please give me solution how to fix it ?
Was this just installed? You should contact the installer to see if they can help as it is leeching something out of the concrete.
It was installed 3 weeks ago, concrete, stamped, colored. What do you mean by leeching ?
Something is leeching out of the concrete. Efflorescence or something else from the concrete mix.
any solution you recommend i can try in small patch and see if fixes the problem ? do you think it is poor quality sealant causing this ?
Was it sealed? You never mentioned that. No idea what will fix this.
I only seem to get the white in the area between the bricks to look like grout. The cement is dyed and I tried Tolulene on some cracks and it took the color out. Can I use a stripper that won’t take out the color?
Post pics.
Best I could, floor is approx. 24’X30′ and the white is very sporadic.
my floor is about 24’X30′ and the white cracks are random
That is something leeching out of your grout. Not sure what it is though and if you can fix it our not.
These porcelain tiles were sealed but now have white film on them. Is this moisture caught under the sealer or effervescent? How can we fix it? We are in uk
Looks like the sealer has discolored. Strip it all off.
Thank you, any ideas what caused it so we can ensure doesn’t happen again? It was very hot when done and the patio had been acid washed on the same day?
No idea as to the cause without knowing more about the sealer type and brand that was used. Same with removal and being you are in the UK, we would not know what products you have there that would work to strip it.
Also, How do we strip it off?
Concrete contractor completed a new tan decorative walkway back in April. There are white marks up by the stoop. They have been there since the beginning. They applied a water based cure and sealer. Is there anything I can do?
Sorry but no.
This is what it looks like today
This is the results
no pics.
I just spend a lot in this project and it came out with moist -can I apply one or two more layers of the wet look sealer to see if it looks better
White patches on stamped and sealed patio. It was done a year ago and happened within two days.
Post pictures for help.
I had a stamped patio poured last year. The guy also sealed it. It looked great at first and within two days it started showing white patches. I contacted the guy who did it and he said to clean it with soap and water. I have did this several times last year and this year and have got no results. Any ideas or suggestions on what to do?
Pictures?
Picture
Different patch
Try xylene solvent to affected areas.
Had a paver patio installed last fall and the whitish spotting emerged after sealing. contractor came back this summer and used xylene to remove and then resealed with more spotting residue emerging. Any thought on how i can resolve? Contractor is out of ideas. thanks
Post pictures.
Do you need to strip off the sealer from everywhere, or only from the white patches?
All. Not possible to spot strip.
What does “emulsifying the sealer” mean??
Softens it and resets it.
I live in Florida where the summers are hot, humid and rainy. Can spraying on of Xylene be done this time of year or is it better to wait until fall??
Fall.
My son spilled quite a lot of acetone on our pattern pave. We hosed it off but it has turned the area white. Can you help us.
Post some pics.
Also, does it looks better when wet with water?
In the process of resealing my patios. I had a contractor seal them last fall however white spots started to emerge after winter. I’ve since pressure washed the patios in hopes to just reseal. However I wanted to confirm if I need to strip the patios prior to sealing due to the white spots found in the pictures below. Please advise, and thank you for your time! This site is great.
https://ibb.co/4PxQpgt
https://ibb.co/HnNFMk8
https://ibb.co/Qf68scJ
You do not need to seal this. You can restore the shine and remove the white spots by applying Xylene solvent to all the areas. Just spray on to a clean surface and let dry.
Thank you for the quick response! I just want to confirm, even with me pressure washing the patio(s) I can still apply the xylene solvent? A few pavers have what looks like bare/raw spots.
Yes, try the xylene.
Our paver patio was sealed two days ago. This morning we noticed that the edge of the patio has turned a hazy white, and there are also some water spots from our irrigation system (sprinklers were not run until a full 36 hours of dry time had passed-weather was warm, sunny and windy). Poly metric sand was used in the joints. Two questions: Can the hazy whiteness be easily removed from the affected pavers, or will the whole patio need to be re-sealed? Also, when the entire patio gets rained on (or sprayed with a hose), will the whole thing… Read more »
Sounds like you have poly sand haze. You will have to strip off the sealer and then clean off the poly sand haze to fix this: https://www.concretesealerreview.com/what-is-poly-sand-haze/
My cement blue stone pavers did not turn white deterrent brownish blackish awful did not enhance the color if I strip it will it go back to that blue color
Post some pics.
I have a stamped driveway and have a well which water leaves a white film where the sprinklers spray on the drive way. Is there a sealer that will keep the water from causing the white film.?
No, that is an issue with the hardness/mineral with your water, not your sealer, and cannot be prevented.
We poured concrete in winter and then sealed. We have white spots small and big under the sealer. What do I need to do to get back to original concrete finish? Also once sealer(clear) went out it significantly darkened the concrete. I’m guessing due to excess moisture? It has been poured for 5 months. Please help!!
Post some pics and what sealer brand and type did you use?
SpecChem. I am trying to post pics but it’s not accepting my type of photo.
SpecChem was the sealer the concrete guy used. It has efflorescence and white dots in the concrete. I just can’t get it out with sealer on. So not sure if we should strip sealer and clean with efflorescence cleaner and reseal or if it’s just a lost cause or something else we can put on concrete to keep a concrete floor.
Was the sealer acrylic-based? If so, then yes, you need to strip it first and then clean.
Hello I have a 7 year old paver patio snd it has just become dull. I really do not want the gloss as I feel it will make it slick as it is around a pool. Which or what product would you recommend I use?
Supreme Shield SB-600: https://www.concretesealerreview.com/supreme-shield-sb-600-wet-look-review/
Thank you…. Is there some proper prep work I should do prior to application? Wash it? Let it dry? For how long? I just read something about it needed to be very dry and no rain for like 48 hours for good application?!? Also, do you recommend spraying or rolling it on?
Yes, pressure wash it. Wait 48 hours to dry before sealing. Roll or spray.
Hi, I have a colored/stamped concrete sidewalk, I sealed it a few years ago and it looked great, last summer it was starting to look like it needed it again, so I resealed, used same sealer I had some left over from first time. It was a very hot day when I did it… Looked good for about a month and noticed it getting white spots. Now I want to fix this problem this summer….so about 8 months later. How do I go about this? Try spraying Zylene on and try resealing? Just Zylene to see if it helps? Or… Read more »
You will have to strip it to fix it: https://www.concretesealerreview.com/how-to-strip-a-stamped-concrete-sealer/
are you saying reseal it because it’s been on so long? If sealant has been down for over a year with the white spots does it need to be stripped and then resealed?
To fix the issue you have to remove and start over with a sealer that is not prone to turning white.
I got pavers that were sinking so I hired someone to come and lift them up before the winter. When they finished the job they some the white powder they used will be washed out but it has turned more visible and ugly. what can I do in this case?
Post some pictures.
I am a concrete contractor i sealed a stamp concrete patio around 300 SF and rain overnight and after a couple days some white spots are coming up should I spray some xylene on the spots let it dry and reseal everything again ?
What fix do you recommend i have a 300 sq ft patio that has white spots under the sealer should apply xylene with a roller and wait and resealed after the xylene dry ?
Post some pictures here in the comments.
Here is the picture
And this happened after it rained the same day as sealing? If so, use Xylene solvent. Just spray on and leave it alone until it dries. No need to reseal after
Yes this happened after i seal it i finish rolling the sealer and it rain like 4 hours later i will spray xylene and let it dry like you said thank you so much for your help i will let you know if it works thanks again
Had my existing stamped patio re-sealed when I got more concrete pored about 4 months ago. They did not strip the original sealer before applying new. It looks like it is now turning white. Do I need to strip and re-seal?
Yes.
I had a sealer applied and it turned white soon after. Applying Xylene makes my patio look new again but it only lasts a couple months and the white comes back. I have applied Xylene three times over the summer using a low nap paint roller and it’s still is coming back. Thoughts?
You will have to strip off the problematic sealer that keeps turning white to stop this from reoccurring.
If I stamp normal concrete and Antique it and seal it well the normal concrete bleach white?
Sealers do not bleach colors in concrete.
I have a coloured stamped back patio. I tried to seal it myself with BEHR low luster seal which is water based and it dried cloudy white so I tried stripping it with BEHR masonry and concrete paint thinner. After stripping it looks even more white. I was scared to leave it on too long thinking the colour may go with it? So it was only maybe 5-10 minutes of sitting before washing off with steel brush and hose. When i wet it, the white areas go away but the colour pigment definitely looks different. Should I try stripping again… Read more »
You have to remove this to fix it. Use the Clemons Concrete Stripper and pressure washing to remove. Their Cleaner Degreaser after.
Would xylene work to remove it as a stripper or no?
No. Xylene is not a stripper.
I didn’t have enough square footage for a local person to refinish my stamped concrete, so I decided to do it myself. I pressure washed the front porch and I used some acetone to remove some light water spots. There were some stubborn water spots that I used a “15-minute stripper” from my shed. Well, now I have two sections with a white hazy look. Is this trapped moister? Is this stripper residue? What would you recommend? Xylene? Or should I get a sealer stripper? Or is there something else I need to do?
Post pictures.
Here are a few pictures, let me know if you need more.
Looks like residue. See if a Cleaner Degreaser will remove this. If not, you will have to strip it all down.
Had a patio poured 5 days ago with integral color then stamped with a darker release color. They stated they would not seal for a couple weeks. Some areas that have seen a lot of water have spots. It has also rained for 2-3 days. Any idea what the spots are and if there is anything I should have them do prior to sealing.
Send some pictures.
Here you go
Not sure, but it looks like it washed away the stain release? Does it look even when wet with water? If so, it will look even with a wet look sealer.
We needed to apply Xylene to release trapped moisture on a newly stamped driveway project. Basically the 1200 sq ft of driveway needed to be sprayed down with the xylene. Is a new application of sealer needed ?
No need.
My installer power washed concrete paver patio and sealed same day. A few weeks later, white spots like in this picture started to appear. They claim this is normal for concrete and will fade over time. Do you agree? Thanks in advance.
It does not go away naturally or fade.
Thanks for quick reply. I’m not an expert so I don’t know what it is but do you think I need to strip it? If so what do you suggest using?
Do you think Xylene will help this or should I strip the sealer and start over?
Try the xylene fist to see if that makes it go away.
What causes the sealer to only get white blotches when it is wet (rain) BUT, all the white blotches go away as soon as the patio dries.? Seems like if it is trapped moisture, where does it go when the deck is dry? Dan
It is trapped moisture that eventually dries out.
I put SW HC water based deck stain on stamped concrete, let dry 24 hrs. Then put 1coat
water based sealer, let dry 48 hrs, then second coat same sealer with nonskid additive mixed in. Deck dry for two days, then rain. Next morning, white haze splotched all over area that got wet. Here’s the kicker…when the sun drys the deck, all splotches go away?? What’s going on?! Dan from Pompano Beach
Water under the sealer is turning it white.
But why does the white haze go away entirely when the patio dries? Shouldn’t it still show when the patio is dry, if it’s moisture trapped? How do I take it off?
It is trapped moisture that eventually dries out. It cannot be fixed outside of stripping off your sealer.
Hi, this question isn’t about white hazing but rather over spray lines. We applied our sealant on our 30 day old broom finish concrete and we have marks/overlap lines. If I spray Xylene, then roll out the sealer will it blend out the over applied sealer? Thus making the over spray lines less visible?
No, you would have to remove all and start over.
Hello! I applied Cure and Seal concrete sealer on my garage floor. It turned white and hazy. Is this an issue that has to be fixed or can I just let it be? I don’t care for the looks just want to make sure it is functional. Appreciate your advice on this!
You would have to chemically strip it ll to fix it. It is functional at this point though.
Hi, I had a new driveway put in last week, and they sealed it with Sika sealant. It looked great. That night it rained and by the morning it looked horrible, with big white marks all over, some blocks were 100% covered, others not…very random. See photos. Is this bloom due to rain moisture trapped under sealant or efflorescence. Best removal method please?
Looks more lie efflorescence. Strip it off as the article explains and then clean with an efflorescence cleaner after.
Must I remove cloudy Sealer from stamped concrete before applying a new coating? This is a patio and sidewalk.
Yes, you will need to strip.
Best way to fix a chip and best way to get rid of cloudy sealer
You cannot spot fix a chip and have it blend. As for the white, you will need to strip it all off as the above article states.
Can you apply crystal clear sealer over fresh concrete?
If it is a cure and seal sealer like this one, you can: https://www.concretesealerreview.com/superseal-m-concrete-water-repellent-review/
What is the best Efforesence remover to use ?
EacoChem NMD80.