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One of the most sought after concrete sealing products is a waterproofing sealer that is also able to repel deicing salts. Deicing salts and calcium chlorides are some of the most corrosive elements that concrete can be exposed to. They result in spalling, pitting, cracking and cause the concrete to erode all the way down to the rebar if left untreated. Because concrete has the appearance of being strong and indestructible, sealing it is not something that comes to mind – that is until you have active salt damage. Even if you do not salt your driveway, state and town roads are treated, you drive your car up the driveway into your garage and the salt drips off. Over time the concrete becomes damaged.
It is hard to fix existing salt damage with a sealer; however, it is entirely preventable if a penetrating water repellent with saltguard sealer is used. We review the Ghostshield 8500 product quite frequently on this site because it is one of the products we have used that has had the best, longest lasting results. Backed by a 100 year warranty, if reapplied every 10 years, concrete will remain looking new with out any spalls, pits or cracks. This is extremely important because the cost of replacing an existing concrete pad or driveway is about 14x the cost of the actual sealer itself!
Our Take: The 8500 product is a great option if you have a lot of square footage. The product is available in an ultra concentrated gallon; you take the 1 gallon you purchase and mix it with 4 additional gallons of water. When mixed you are left with a 5 gallon bucket which covers up to 625 sq. ft. (the 625 sq. ft. is for both recommended coats or 1250 sq. ft. for 1 coat). The ready to use version that does not require mixing and can be special ordered through Home Depot and Lowes. Whereas the ultra concentrated version can be ordered through Lowes.