Q: Do I Need Concrete Sealer?
A: Yes! You need concrete sealer like peanut butter needs jelly. Concrete sealer is the most important and often forgotten component of the concrete installation process. Many people choose to forgo this step because their budget has been maxed or because they see no need for it. Contractors will typically install a concrete slab but then leave the sealing to the homeowner. Homeowners are often uneducated to the benefits and the necessity of using a concrete sealer.
Do I need a concrete sealer on a concrete driveway? Concrete driveways that are exposed to deicing salts and chlorides in northern climates are most at risk of degradation. Road salts will wreck havoc on concrete causing spalling, pitting, cracking and decay. By using a penetrating concrete sealer of a silane or a silane/siloxane chemistry a driveway will retain its integrity and be protected for 3-10 years.
Do I need a concrete sealer in a basement? Concrete sealers are great at keeping basements dry and free of humidity and the musty “basement” smell. The best type of treatment will depend on the amount of moisture present in the concrete and if the sealing is preventative or reactive. If the concrete is dry and there has never been a moisture issue, penetrating concrete sealers are a great option. If the concrete is wet, damp, or has had mold in the past, a moisture vapor barrier is going to be your best bet. A moisture vapor barrier is a great option before installing flooring since they are guaranteed to keep wood flooring, carpet and tile dry for years to come. They are pricey but a worthwhile investment especially if you cost out the expense of replacing the damaged flooring.
Do I need a concrete sealer on a patio? Using a patio sealer is great if you are looking to protect newly installed pavers or if you are looking to protect a concrete stain from uv rays and weathering. Concrete patio sealers are protective but can also be decorative enhancing the concrete give a high gloss, wet look or satin finish.
Looking for a concrete sealer product recommendation? Check out the review Best Concrete Sealer.
Q: How Much Does it Cost to Seal a Concrete Driveway?
A: The cost of sealing a concrete driveway is going to depend on whether you are looking to hire a contractor to do the sealing or if you are looking to do the sealing yourself. Most concrete sealers these days are extremely DIY friendly. VOC regulations (volatile organic compounds, or how smelly a product will be) are relatively low and concrete sealers do not usually require a respirator or special equipment.
If you decide the task is too much of an undertaking and you hire a contractor the cost is going to be significantly more. You are not only paying the product cost but you are also paying for the concrete surface preparation, product application and cleanup. Most contractors usually charge about $1 a square foot to do the actual sealing. If the concrete does not need any surface preparation the job can usually be done in one day.
The product cost is going to vary based on the type of concrete sealer that is used. If you are using a decorative concrete sealer like an acrylic or urethane the product cost can vary anywhere from $0.25- $0.50 a square foot. If you are using a penetrating concrete sealer the cost ranges anywhere from $0.20 to $0.75 a square foot.
So how much does it cost to seal a concrete driveway? If you hire a contractor the cost is about $1.20 -$1.75 a square foot. If you decide to seal the concrete yourself the cost is about $0.20-$0.75 a square foot. If you decide to use an acrylic concrete sealer or a decorative sealer that will give a gloss or wet look finish, keep in mind that these products need to be reapplied every few years. If you decide to use a penetrating concrete sealer they only need to be reapplied every 5-10 years.
If you decide to embark on the sealing process read our How to Seal Concrete article which goes over the step by step application process.
Q: What Do You Use to Seal Concrete?
A: A concrete sealer is used to seal concrete! If you are looking for a product specific recommendation check out our Best Concrete Sealer recommendations.
In order to determine “what do you use to seal concrete” and what type of concrete sealer is best for your application you need to decide what type of finish you are looking for and what type of protection you are looking for. If you are looking to seal a basement from water you are going to want to use a penetrating waterproofing sealer or a moisture reducing epoxy floor coating. If you are looking to seal a paver patio or a stamped concrete patio and you are looking to make the colors darker and wet looking you are going to want to use a solvent based acrylic concrete sealer. If you are looking to protect your driveway from spalling, cracking, road salts and staining you are going to want to use a penetrating water, salt and oil repellent concrete sealer. If a concrete garage floor is what you are looking to seal, you are going to want to use a durable concrete coating for a glossy, easy to clean, dustproof surface, or a penetrating salt, oil and stain repellent concrete sealer if you are looking to keep the garage floor natural.
Before using a concrete sealer you want to make sure the concrete is properly clean and prepped. Surface preparation is one of the most important steps when it comes to sealing the concrete. If the concrete is contaminated and full of grease and debris the sealer is not going to be able to penetrate into the concrete. If there is not good surface profile a concrete coating is not going to be able to properly bond with the concrete and will be at high risk of delamination. If you are going to be applying a penetrating concrete sealer you are going to want to use a concrete degreaser or an etcher to clean the concrete. If a previous concrete sealer was used you are probably going to need to remove it in order to apply a new concrete sealer. If you are going to be applying an epoxy floor coating you are going to need to grind the concrete.
Q: What is the Best Sealer for Concrete Floors?
A: In order to determine “what is the best sealer for concrete floors” we need to figure out what type of concrete floor we are sealing. When we are talking about concrete sealer and concrete floors we are typically talking about interior applications such as garages, interior concrete floors and basements. The type of sealer you choose for these applications will depend on the type of protection you are looking for and the finish you are looking for.
Interior Concrete Floors: Interior concrete floors are trendy, cost-effective and resemble the look of Home Depot or Lowes floors. This is achieved by applying a concrete densifier and then polishing the concrete with a floor grinder. After concrete has been polished a concrete floor wax or a stain repellent concrete sealer can be used for added protection.
Garage Concrete Floors: In garages two types of products are typically used: penetrating concrete sealers or durable concrete coatings. Penetrating concrete sealers keep the concrete natural, they do not change the look or the appearance of a concrete floor. They provide protection from water, road salts, and light staining from oils and greases. They are easy to apply do not require a lot of surface preparation and are great for residential and DIY applications. Durable concrete coatings refer to epoxy floor coatings and are great for completely stopping dusting, oil and grease spills, abrasions and chemicals. Epoxy floor coatings are best used in conjunction with urethane top coats and are highly recommended for heavy stain protection. Remember that in order for an epoxy floor coating to work you need to properly prepare the surface by grinding the concrete floor or acid etching the concrete floor.
Basement Concrete Floors: Concrete sealers are used in basements to waterproof, reduce humidity, prevent the growth of mold and mildew, reduce hydrostatic pressure and moisture vapor transmission. A waterproofing moisture vapor barrier coating is usually the best concrete sealer to use on a concrete basement floor. It will resist moisture emission rates and protect wood flooring, carpet and tile from water damage. They can also be used before installing an epoxy floor coating or before applying a concrete floor paint. They can also be left as stand alone products if a high gloss floor finish is desired.
Q: How Do You Apply Concrete Sealer?
A: In order to determine how do you apply concrete sealer, you first must determine the tools you are going to need to apply concrete sealer. The most common application tools to apply a concrete sealer are a paint brush, a paint roller or a sprayer. Paint brushes can be used on small amounts of square footage while sprayers can be used on large amounts of square footage. Garden variety pump-up sprayers, low pressure airless sprayers or backpack sprayers are common application tools. If you decide to use a paint roller a standard 3/8″ or 1/4″ nap usually works best. All application tools usually work well to apply concrete sealer; if the manufacturer does not specify a specific tool it will then come down to personal preference. Sprayers tend to make application easy and take the least amount of time, while rollers are great to apply epoxy floor coatings.
Once you have decided what application tool you want to use to apply concrete sealer, you are then going to want to follow the temperature and surface preparation guidelines. You usually want to make sure the concrete is dry, clean, free of oil, grease and mold. If you are applying a durable concrete coating you are going to want to make sure that the surface profile of the concrete floor is between a CSP 2 – CSP 3. In other words you want to make sure that the concrete floor has good surface profile and texture for the coating to bond with. This can be achieved by grinding the concrete floor or acid etching the concrete floor. If you use acid to clean the concrete you also want to make sure you neutralize and rinse the concrete. Surface profile and preparation are the most important factors when it comes to longevity of a concrete floor coating. If you do not properly prepare the concrete the coating is at risk for failure. Lastly a clear, rain free day with the temperature between 40ºF-90ºF is usually standard.
From here you will follow the instructions set forth by the manufacturer. Some concrete sealers require two coats while others require only one coat. Make sure you pay attention to the re-coat time frames as some penetrating concrete sealers require two coats wet-on-wet while epoxy floor coatings have a specific re-coat windows that must be followed in order to avoid de-glossing.
Related Reviews: Best Concrete Sealers
Q: How Long Does Concrete Sealer Take to Dry?
A: Once you apply a concrete sealer the dry time is going to depend on a number of factors including the temperature, humidity, dew point, and the type of concrete sealer or concrete coating that was applied.
Generally speaking epoxy floor coatings and durable urethane coatings take the longest to dry. A full cure can range anywhere from 1-7 days. A full cure is the time it takes for a concrete coating to fully dry to the point where the coating can handle vehicle and forklift traffic. Other cure times include light foot traffic which is usually 24 hours after the concrete coating has been applied, and the re-coat time which is the window to re-coat an epoxy floor coating or a urethane coating without having to de-gloss it. If you wait too long to apply a urethane top coat after applying an epoxy base coat you will need to lightly sand the top of it before applying the top coating in order to get good adhesion.
Decorative concrete sealers have the shortest dry time of 1-6 hours since the are topical. Solvent based acrylic concrete sealers are usually dry to the touch in 1-3 hours depending on the time of application and the relative humidity. Water based acrylic concrete sealers are usually dry to the touch in 3-6 hours depending on the time of application and the relative humidity.
Penetrating concrete sealers take longer to dry than decorative concrete sealers because they penetrate deep into the concrete and dry from the inside out. Depending on the temperature at the time of application and the relative humidity this can be anywhere from 2-8 hours. Penetrating concrete sealers usually require two coats of sealer applied wet-on-wet. What this means is the second coat is applied on top of the first coat while the first coat is still wet. You do not want to apply a second coat after the first coat has dried or the first coat will try to repel the second coat. The second wet-on-wet coat is applied anywhere from 1-15 minutes after the first coat is applied.
If you are looking for product specific recommendations check out our best concrete sealers article.