What makes concrete sealer the best?
We have a lot of information and a lot of articles that are written on why we think you should use a particular sealer; even referring to it as the best. We understand that this is a big claim especially considering how many options are out there on the market. We also get a lot of questions about why we review certain products and not others. When it comes to answering the question “what makes concrete sealer the best” we have to first evaluate the following.
Manufacturer: who is the manufacturer of the concrete sealer, how long have they been in business, do they have credibility, etc. Once we determine through research that a manufacturer is reliable, we then feel comfortable testing out their products.
Compatibility: When we are reviewing a concrete sealer for a particular application we need to make sure that the type of sealer will give us the results we are looking for. For example we are not going to be testing out an acrylic sealer on a driveway exposed to deicing salts since we already know that it is not going to last more than a season. Therefore if we are writing about concrete driveway sealers we are going to evaluate a penetrating concrete sealer since we know it will perform, last for at least a few years and protect the concrete from deicing salt and spalling. This is similar to why we would not review an epoxy floor coating on a concrete driveway; epoxies are not UV stable. Understand that when we review a concrete driveway sealer we have already determined the type of chemistry that will be best for a particular application and that is why we are not mentioning hundreds of different products in our reviews.
Testing: Before we write about our experiences with a certain product, we test it out. The testing can be based on a one time use if we are writing about the ease of application or multi-year evaluation if we are reviewing long term performance.
Trust the experts: After years of testing a lot of products out there on the market we have first hand knowledge to share with you to make your shopping experience easier. We test from the perspective of a DIYer and give you our first hand results and experiences so you do not have to test multiple products.
The most common question we are asked is what is the best concrete sealer? Our answer usually depends on the category and the protection that individual is looking for. But there are a few common principles that will guide every product recommendation.
Actives: When a manufacturer refers to the “actives” in their product this is usually referred to as the active ingredient percentage. For example when it comes to choosing a silane sealer the actives content can range anywhere from 5% to 100% depending on the carrier. Silanes are mixed with either water, solvent or they are 100% active. The actives concentration will determine the type of performance that is expected out of a particular product. For example a 5% silane is going to have a shorter lifespan and is not going to perform as well as a 40% silane. And a water based silane is not going to perform or last as long as a solvent based silane. But there is a time and place for each of these situations. For example states like California have strict VOC laws and some solvents are not compliant; thereby eliminating their use. In these cases a water based silane can be used. Or if budget is an issue you may want to use a lower actives product. Just keep in mind you will need to reseal more frequently. 100% actives sealers are going to last the longest and perform the best with a high actives solvent based sealer being the next best option and then a water based sealer.
Quality: When it comes to sealers, again using a silane as an example, there are different strands that are better performing than others. We are going to get a little scientific on you now but an octyltriethoxysilane is going to perform better than an isobutytriethoxysilane. When we review products we pay attention to the disclosed ingredients and their effect on performance.
Price: Price is what will usually makes or breaks the decision to use a certain product. Yes we can say a product is the best we have ever tried but if it is thousands of dollars it is not even worth your time to read about it. We try to let you know the price in our reviews so you can either continue your research or move along to a different product.