Concrete densifiers are silicate sealers of a sodium, potassium or lithium carrier designed to densify, harden, dustproof and increase the abrasion resistance of concrete. Most commonly used on warehouse floors in conjunction with a floor machine to polish and add a shine.
Most Important Features When Purchasing a Concrete Densifier:
- Concentrated densifier so the water to sealer ratio can be controlled at a more cost effective price point
- Resistance to mold, mildew, efflorescence, abrasions and dusting
- Look for an industrial grade silicate with substantial penetration that is chemically reactive with a guaranteed warranty.
Most Popular Concrete Densifier Brand Reviews:
Concrete Sealer X-1: Silicate sealer that is permanent, penetrates 4 inches and leaves a natural looking concrete finish. Non-toxic, low VOCs with a 2 year shelf life applied by a brush or roller.
LiON Hard: Environmentally friendly lithium silicate sealer, VOC compliant and non-yellowing. Densifies and dustproofs all while creating a non-slip surface.
Prosoco LS: Chemically reactive lithium silicate, one coat application, abrasion resistant, slip resistant, non-yellowing and VOC compliant.
Silicate sealers are commonly used as densifiers to harden and strengthen concrete. Most common applications include concrete that will be polished as seen on many commercial warehouse floors. Silicates also help to prevent dusting, efflorescence, mold and mildew. Keep in mind that silicates are not waterproofers although many manufacturers claim their silicates waterproof, they are strictly densifiers.
Most Important Features When Purchasing a Silicate Sealer:
- Available in either a sodium, potassium or lithium carrier, look for a concentrated blend that will be more cost effective.
- Resistance to mold, mildew, efflorescence, abrasions and dusting.
- Look for an industrial grade silicate with substantial penetration that is chemically reactive with a guaranteed warranty.
Most Popular Silicate Sealer Brand Reviews:
LiON Hard: Environmentally friendly lithium silicate sealer, VOC compliant and non-yellowing. Densifies and dustproofs all while creating a non-slip surface.
Prosoco LS: Chemically reactive lithium silicate, one coat application, abrasion resistant, slip resistant, non-yellowing and VOC compliant.
Concrete Sealer X-1: Silicate sealer that is permanent, penetrates 4 inches and leaves a natural looking concrete finish. Non-toxic, low VOCs with a 2 year shelf life applied by a brush or roller.
Lithi-Tek 4500: Easy spray on application and excellent protection against mold, mildew, efflorescence, radon and dusting, fast drying and chemically reactive. We love the beautiful sheen when polished, extremely hard and abrasion resistant with a lifetime guarantee.
So what exactly is a silicate and why does every concrete sealer company offer and sell silicates? Silicates have been around for many years and sodium silicates have been used in concrete applications for over 100 years. As far as a concrete application silicates are used primarily as densifiers to harden and strengthen concrete. They are best applied to floors before they are polished since they give concrete the kind of shine you find on a floor of a big box hardware store.
Sodium silicates are the oldest of the silicate family and their claim to fame is a chemical reaction that takes place when the silicate comes into contact with Portland cement through a process called hydration. Calcium Silicate Hydrate is produced creating a stronger, denser substrate also reducing the porosity of the concrete slab. Potassium and Lithium silicates are newer to the market place, essentially working the same chemical reaction with a potassium or lithium carrier instead of a sodium one. Lithium silicates are usually more expensive that sodium silicates because of the smaller size of the lithium ions.
Our Take: Silicates are sold pre-diluted and concentrated and it is really up to the end user to decide if they want to dilute the material themselves to save on shipping or if they want to buy a diluted version to save on the hassle. VSeal and Hydrablock are good diluted varieties while Sila-Tek 3500 is sold concentrated and will give you the most bang for your buck.
What are the best silicate concrete sealers?
When you’ve decided on a penetrating concrete sealer, maybe for a project like a garage, a driveway, or a basement made of traditional concrete, you no longer have to consider surface sealers like acrylics, urethanes, and epoxies. However, there are a few different choices at the level of penetrating sealers.
Silicate sealers are the a common choice for densification. They are a high quality, dependable choice of penetrating sealer. They are made up of small particles of silicate, a material that will penetrate past the surface pores of the concrete to react chemically within the concrete to create CSH. CSH, or calcium silicate hydrate, is a naturally occurring mineral within the concrete that provides its strength. However, concrete is naturally porous with a large number of air pockets. With a penetrating sealer delivering silicate into the concrete, the silicate will react chemically with the calcium, free lime, and various alkalis within the concrete to create more CSH, which increases the concrete’s strength.
A silicate sealer is made up of silicate suspended in a type of carrier, typically a sodium. That is why you see sodium silicate sealers everywhere on the market. These are excellent choices, but a newcomer to the field is the lithium silicate sealer. The difference is that the carrier, which only functions to transport the silicate into the concrete, is lithium instead of sodium. Keep in mind that silicates both sodium and lithium do not offer any type of waterproofing protection.
Our Take: Silicate densifiers we like are Lithi-Tek 4500 and The Ashford Formula.