Sealer turned white on stained concrete floor...

We are fortunate at TODDROSE decorative concrete inc to receive several calls through out the year to fix a job that has gone for bad for someone. Sealer issues such as whiting or peeling off account for most of these calls. Sealers white out for several reasons. Moisture being the main cause. The fix is not always easy, and sometimes involves stripping the sealer. The best thing is prevention.
1. Make sure there is no standing water on the concrete. 2. Do not apply sealer too thick. 3. Make sure there are no contaminants on floor before sealing. 4. Make sure it will not rain (no sprinklers) for 6 hours or so.
If the sealer has whited out then you need to strip the sealer. Once removed let the concrete breath (dry out). Then re-apply sealer in a very thin manner.

Stamped concrete patio losing color in Omaha???

It is normal after about 3 to 5 years for your decorative concrete to look like it is fading or losing its color. The good news is it is NOT. It just needs to be re-sealed. To properly re-seal your decorative concrete you need to pressure wash, let dry, and roll on another coat of the same sealer that was used when installed. I like to use the same manufacturer as well. The biggest thing to remember when re-sealing concrete is to apply THIN. When I teach staining classes I always preach "thin is in".
Almost all problems with sealers are that they are applied way too thick.

Should you use stamped or stenciled concrete for your patio?

Totally up to you and what you like. I like both, but I definitely lean towards stenciled concrete. The price is about the same. By having the joint or imprint lines a different color than the rest of the concrete I think looks much more realistic. Check out this youtube video and see if that helps answer your question. or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBld4N_PqQo

you can see it on our website as well www.toddrosedecorativeconcrete.com

Concern over stamped concrete being slippery.

I hear this quite a bit. To avoid this we go through a process of etching the stamped concrete before sealing. Imagine the surface of your concrete (even though it has a stamped texture)being equal to 400 grit sandpaper. This is going to be slick. If the stamped concrete is etched before sealing the surface will feel more like 150 grit sandpaper.

I get many calls to fix slick stamped concrete in Omaha and Lincoln. The fix is not easy. The sealer needs to be stripped. After stripping the sealer, the stamped concrete needs to be etched with an acid/water mixture. After neutralizing and flushing with water, re-apply sealer. A lot of concrete contractors will just add silica sand to the sealer- this practice is temporary at best.

Properly installed stamped concrete should not be slippery, regardless of the type of stamps used. Our website is www.toddrosedecorativeconcrete.com