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.
Q: Does Concrete Need to Be Sealed?
A: Concrete needs to be sealed, concrete needs to be sealed, concrete needs to be sealed! If you are asking us we are adamant that all concrete should be sealed. If left unsealed concrete is at high risk of decay, cracking, crumbling, rust, spalling, pitting and the list goes on a on. To cost to pour a new 500 square foot driveway is about $4000. The cost to seal this driveway with a high quality concrete sealer is less than $250. A penetrating concrete sealer can last upwards of ten years before needing to be reapplied. If left unsealed, in an area with high road salt usage and freeze-thaw cycling the concrete will need to be replaced in ten years. You do the math. It may seem like an additional expense at first, and your concrete will look all nice and tough and strong, but after one winter if left unsealed you will begin to see visual damage.
Concrete sealers can be used on any concrete application including concrete driveways, patios, basements, garage floors, brick, masonry, pavers, stone, stamped concrete and exposed aggregate. Tips to consider when choosing a concrete sealer include: what are you looking to achieve? If you are looking for the best overall and longest lasting sealer use a penetrating concrete sealer. Penetrating sealers do just as their name implies, they penetrate into the concrete to impregnate and seal from the inside out. They typically will leave a waterproof concrete surface which in turn keeps out the road salts, and they can contain additives to prevent oil stains. If you are looking enhance the substrate you can use a decorative concrete sealer. Decorative concrete sealers are typically acrylic based and they do just as their name implies they leave a nice decorative finish on the concrete giving the substrate a wet look or high gloss finish. If you are looking for a durable concrete coating that can be used in warehouse or industrial applications an epoxy floor coating can protect the concrete from forklift traffic, vehicle traffic, chemicals, acids and abrasions.
There are many different functions that concrete sealers provide and when it comes to choosing the best concrete sealer it really depends on the type of protection you are looking for. That being said when answering the question, “does concrete need to be sealed?” yes, if you do not want to be replacing the concrete you just poured or invested in you are going to want to use a concrete sealer.
If you are looking for product specific recommendations check out our best concrete sealers article.
Question: Should I use a concrete sealer?
Answer: Concrete sealers should always be used as soon as the concrete slab has been poured and fully cured for 28 days. A concrete sealer will help to increase the lifespan of the concrete by protecting it from UV exposure, cracking, pitting, staining and surface wear to name a few. Concrete sealers can be used on old concrete and new concrete and are relatively inexpensive. It is better to seal the concrete than it is to replace an old, worn and damaged slab years down the line.
When it comes to deciding, “should I use a concrete sealer?” you first need to determine what type of protection you are looking for. If your main purpose for sealing is to make the concrete look nice you are going to want to use a decorative concrete sealer. Decorative concrete sealers are usually acrylic sealers that will leave a wet look or high gloss finish to enhance and bring out the colors and textures of the slab. Decorative concrete sealers do require frequent reapplication and maintenance to maintain their decorative look year after year. If you are looking for the most durable interior concrete floor sealer, used an epoxy and/or urethane concrete coating. Concrete coatings are able to protect warehouse floors, garage floors and kennels from chemicals, acids and abrasions. They are usually available in a clear or colored format and you can add decorative elements such as paint flakes and metallic sands. If the concrete is prepped accordingly they can last upwards of ten years before needing to be reapplied. If your main purpose for sealing is road salt or waterproofing protection, use a penetrating concrete sealer. Penetrating concrete sealers leave a clear finish that will not change the look of the concrete. However, they are excellent choices when it comes to protection from moisture intrusion, deicing salts, surface staining and corrosion. Penetrating sealers last anywhere from 5-10 years and do not need to be stripped when it comes time for reapplication.
If you need additional help selecting the best concrete sealer for your application read our Best Concrete Sealers article.
What is the best way to seal a concrete floor? Concrete floors are found in garages, basements, warehouses, shop floors and interior floors. In order to determine the best way to seal a concrete floor you need to determine what type of protection and finish you are looking for. If you are looking to polish the concrete it would be best to use a concrete densifier and then polish the concrete floor. If you are looking for chemical and abrasion resistance it would be best to use an epoxy floor coating system. If you are looking for a decorative gloss finish it would be best to use an acrylic wet look concrete sealer. If you are looking to keep the concrete clear with out any sheen you can use a penetrating concrete sealer.
Once you have determined what type of protection you are looking for and what you are trying to seal you can then go about prepping the concrete floor. If the concrete has been previously sealed you will need to remove the previous concrete sealer or wait for the sealer to wear away. If the concrete is new you will need to wait for it to cure 28 days before applying a concrete sealer. If you are going to be applying a concrete coating to the concrete floor you will first need to grind it or acid etch it to achieve a good surface profile. Most sealers are applied with nap paint rollers, garden variety pump up sprayers, or brushes.
Ultimately the best way to seal a concrete floor depends on the type of protection you are looking for and the type of finish you are looking for. Read our other reviews for product recommendations and product selection tips.