After over 20 hours of researching more than 10 concrete sealers and testing and evaluating a few of them, our results for the Best Concrete Sealers for 2018 – Decorative Concrete Sealers are found below.
Part 2: Best Concrete Sealers for 2018 Decorative Concrete Sealers
**Be sure to check out Part 1: Best Concrete Sealers for 2018 – Penetrating Sealers
Best of the Best: Euclid Chemical Super Diamond Clear
Bottom Line: This product is tried and true. This is the go to cure and seal concrete sealer in the industry designed to cure new concrete while providing a non-yellowing seal simultaneously protecting and enhancing the appearance of concrete. Every contractor we spoke to has used this product for years with great results.
Pros: It can be used on fresh concrete; you do not have to wait the industry standard 28 days for concrete to cure before using this product. This product can also be tinted with a color pack available in 33 standard colors.
Cons: Not as readily available through online retailers as we would like. A hazmat shipping surcharge is usually applied, and the VOC content prevents it from being shipped to all 50 states. Also the smallest quantity available is a case or four, one gallon jugs.
Also awesome all around: Cryli-Tek 5505 concrete sealer
Bottom Line: We really liked the versatility of this concrete sealing product and how a matting agent is available to reduce the gloss finish. You can choose from a high gloss, wet look, satin or low sheen finish. A slip resistant additive is also available to reduce the slipperiness when wet. The additive is mixed in at the time of application.
Pros: Available for purchase through a number of online retailers with an instructional application video available on the manufacturers website.
Cons: It comes at an expensive price point but as the saying goes you get what you pay for.
Home Depot Star Rating: 4.5/5
Check Price: Home Depot.com
Actual customer reviews: (source HomeDepot.com)
Star Rating: 5/5 “Excellent product. I power washed my colored textured concrete pool deck and applied the product using a roller. The product dried clear with a wet look. The surface is slippery, and the only recommendation I would make is to add grit to the product itself or on the surface during the drying process.” – Mike
Star Rating: 5/5 “…Ghostshield recommended just one coat. I applied two (do at your own risk). The results were awesome. Remember that surface prep is by far the most important part. Clean the concrete with a great cleaner…several times. I used tsp. Sweeping, mopping and more of each until there is no dirt left. After the first coat was dry I let it sit for about two weeks then cleaned and applied the second. It looks wet all the time now and brought out all the colors. Easy to install, I am not a contractor nor do I work on concrete. I’m just a regular guy who likes to diy. Hope this helps someone out there.” – Anonymous
Considerations:
Chemistry – For Part 2 of our Best Concrete Sealers for 2018 series, we reviewed decorative sealers/coatings; more specifically water and solvent based acrylics and methacrylates.
Finish – Decorative concrete sealers leave matte, satin or gloss finishes and change appearance of the concrete giving you the much desired “wet look.” If you are looking for a longer lasting concrete sealer that will protect from deicing salts, check out our Part 1: Best Concrete Sealers for 2018 – Penetrating Sealers
Features – Features of this concrete sealer include color enhancement, gloss or satin finish options, non-yellowing appearance, uv protection and dustproofing.
Availability – We considered concrete sealing products that are in stock on shelves, products sold online through big box retailers and/or products sold online only shipped through the manufacturer themselves.
Performance – Results were conducted through independent tests by our experts, contractors, and homeowners. Products were evaluated on a 1 week, 3 month, 6 month and 1 year basis.
How we decided: There are hundreds of concrete sealers available on the consumer market, so how do you tell which one is right for you? We test every product we review. For this decorative concrete sealer comparison 10 models were considered, 20 hours were spent researching, 2 experts were interviewed and 50 consumers were consulted. We listened to your feedback and have finally released our list of Best Concrete Sealers for 2018: Decorative Concrete Sealers edition! In our research, we found that more inexpensive decorative sealers suffered in longevity due to low resins and solids content and most commercial products had high VOC’s and could not be used in all fifty states. We prioritized finding a high quality concrete sealer that was both durable, with little maintenance and reasonably priced. We also looked to big box retailers for credibility, and pulled reviews and information from Home Depot, Lowes, White Cap and Amazon.
Deciding factors:
The Super Diamond Clear concrete sealer product is the go-to product in the contractor marketplace. Experienced guys tell you this is their recommendation for concrete flat work. Does all that is expected out of a decorative gloss sealer while helping concrete to cure assuring proper cement hydration and strength gain.
The Cryli-Tek 5505 concrete sealer product is a methacrylate acrylic that holds up extremely well for a decorative concrete sealer. The wet look of this product lasts well over the year we tested it for and when it comes time for it, the resealing process could not be easier since you can apply the 5505 directly on top of a previous coat.
Tips and Tricks:
When using either of these concrete sealer products use a good quality, shed-less 3/8″ nap roller or a low pressure, solvent resistant airless sprayer with a fan nozzle. Use a slip resistant additive to add traction without affecting the appearance.
