An Ultimate Guide On Concrete Sealers

Concrete is a sturdy material used in the construction fields all over the world. It is also essential to maintain concrete constructions with its increasing demand. The maintenance of concrete is inexpensive and necessary to keep them stable for the coming years.

Concrete is not only used in indoor construction but also in the construction of roads and stairs on the streets. So, what makes it durable is the concrete sealing process applied at the end. We will have a look at what concrete sealers are and how you can find one for your project by looking at the features of concrete sealers.

Concrete sealers are thick liquid materials applied over a surface to protect them from staining, surface damage, and corrosion. It fits into the porous concrete surfaces and makes them resistant to external chemicals and particles that destroy the surfaces. They also enhance the look and feel of surfaces with various characteristics such as glossy finish and color variants.

How are concrete sealers useful in protecting the surfaces?

When you apply the concrete sealers over concrete surfaces, it makes them look shiny and smooth. It helps in the reduction of moisture absorption by the concrete surface that destroys the appearance of surfaces.

The concrete sealers also protect the surfaces from general damages of alkali-silica reaction, corrosion and steel reinforcements, and chemical intrusions.

You can use them to allure the beauty of your home-interiors such as your patio, paver driveaway, an acid-stained floor, the concrete floors, or countertops inside your home. They are also used to protect the paver driveway and exposed aggregate walkway. The concrete sealers expand the lifespan of concrete surfaces and give them a spectacular look.

Types of concrete sealers:

Before buying any concrete sealer, make sure what its types are and which one of them will suffice your needs.

Once you start searching for the concrete sealers, you will come across these three terms used in the market:

1. Penetrating Concrete Sealers – Penetrating sealers usually penetrate the concrete and form a barrier inside the concrete that protects it from water damage, deicing salts, and moisture absorption. You can use the penetrating concrete sealer when you don’t want to change the texture and appearance of the concrete surface and protect them from deicing salts and freeze/thaw cycles.

They keep the surface breathable, allowing it to evaporate the vapors. This concrete sealer survives for a long time and requires reapplication after five years.

1. Durable Coatings – Durable coating when applied to the surface of concrete leaves a glossy finish with a hard and chemical-resistant layer. They are available in various colors for the trending floors with upcoming designer interiors. They are mostly used for interior applications as they turn yellowish when exposed to UV rays.
2. Decorative Coatings – You can use decorative coatings for both interior and exterior applications. Being available in a wide range of sheen levels, they leave the surface with a glossy finish. They change the look, texture, and appearance of the concrete surface. You can prefer them for indoor furnishing as they are available in varied colors and give the concrete surface an intensified wet look. But, they need reapplication every year if exposed to deicing salts.

Tips on applying concrete sealers to surfaces:

Applying concrete sealers is not as difficult as you might think. You need to follow some necessary steps and instructions stated on the containers. Well, all of them may have similar instructions, and you might be a master at applying them, but it is better to have a look at them once.

Most of the people love to experiment with ‘DIYs’ and so look for such new methods of improving the appearance of basic things. If you are one of them and trying the concrete sealers for the first time, then be sure to have the proper gear with you.

Before following the instructions from concrete sealers containers, keep the following things in mind:

1. Make sure the surface is clean and dry to apply the concrete sealer.
2. Try applying at a smaller portion of the surface to ensure its adhesion.
3. The surface must be dry enough before applying the concrete sealer.
4. The temperature should be around 45-85 degrees Fahrenheit for applying the sealer.
5. Make sure to apply thin layers and not to keep rolling over the surface again and again.
6. 2-3 fine coats are fair enough to make the surface curable from destruction.
7. Apply the water-based sealer with a roller and solvent-based sealer with a spray.
8. If you are applying on uneven surfaces, then try to make the application as thin as possible to avoid the pooling of the sealers.

How to choose the best concrete sealers?

It becomes challenging to choose a particular concrete sealer when you have such a wide range of products in the market. Well, each of them may differ in price, surface-specific features, and qualities. You can pick the best one for your project by comparing a range of concrete sealers online. Also, you can find the reviews and most preferable one for you with their features.

We will look at some of the features that you should note while buying a concrete sealer:

1. It should dry quickly.
2. Easy to apply.
3. It should not change the concrete’s color.
4. Durable.
5. It should be scratch resistant.
6. Should be odorless.
7. It should be water-resistant.

Conclusion:

We think that this guide on what concrete sealers are and how they should be selected, have helped you in solving most of your questions. It is essential to find the best concrete sealers that will help you in protecting your concrete surfaces right from indoor to outdoor. It will be more helpful for you by comparing a range of concrete sealers online.

You should never compromise on things that expand the lifespan of heavy materials that are expensive to replace if destroyed. Such is the case with concrete sealers. It will save a lot of your money in the long run by protecting the surfaces. And the best part being, it is itself inexpensive.