The number one arch enemy of concrete is water. Not only can water create harmful health risks with the growth of mold and mildew and create numerous problems for homeowner’s foundations but it can also be a carrier for salts and chlorides that can damage reinforcing steel in concrete leading to spalling and cracking. In order to prevent water from damaging concrete basements, driveways and other surfaces a waterproofing concrete sealer should be used. A lot of sealers on the market are elastomeric, latex based or acrylic based and while they can temporarily help to reduce water is only a matter of time before they delaminate. Since they are unable to penetrate but instead coat the surface it is more like putting a bandaid on the problem instead of sealing from within.
By using a penetrating, impregnating sealer that densifies and hardens concrete and also provides a hydrophobic surface barrier you can ensure a fully waterproofed substrate. One of our favorite concrete waterproofers is Lithi-Tek 9500 concrete sealer. This sealer is an invisible, penetrating concrete sealer that will not only densify concrete, but it will waterproof and help to prevent deleterious organic growth. The chemically reactive and active ingredients seal the pores within the substrate adequately blocking surface moisture while still maintaining the concretes ability to breathe. It will not significantly modify substrate appearance or traction and will only wear away if the concrete surface itself wears away. New or existing concrete can be treated and performance can be improved in as little as two applications. The concentrated nature of the sealer allows for 1000 sq. ft. of coverage per coat from 1 gallon (two coats are recommended so each gallon will yield 500 square feet worth of coverage) and it is now readily available at Amazon.com, HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com. This concrete sealer only costs about $0.10 per square foot per application; considering the cost to replace concrete is about $7.00 per square foot, sealing concrete with the 9500 is a worthwhile investment.
