There are many concrete sealers available. Concrete is used for many different projects. Some concrete is used as a foundation for concrete buildings, while concrete is also used to line the walls of buildings. Even concrete sidewalks are made from concrete. So, with all of these concrete projects, concrete sealers have become very popular and concrete sealers are available in many different forms.
What are the various concrete sealers available? How long does it take to apply concrete sealers when concrete is first laid? What is needed for preparation and cleaning before concrete sealers are applied to a concrete surface? These questions and more will be answered in this article.
Benefits
Concrete sealers are primarily used to protect concrete surfaces. They prevent concrete surfaces from cracking or expanding suddenly when an outside force acts on them. When concrete is exposed to temperature changes or exposure to outdoor elements such as rain or sunlight, the cement will expand or contract. This expansion and contraction of concrete causes crack to form and over time, these cracks can become very deep and very expensive to repair. A concrete sealer acts as a barrier to these fluctuations and prevents concrete from cracking, expanding and contracting abruptly.
Types
The concrete sealers available are primarily two types: wet concrete sealers and dry concrete sealers. A wet concrete sealer is one that is applied to the concrete when it is wet. The concrete sealer is left to dry for the amount of time recommended by its manufacturer. At the end of the recommended drying period, the concrete sealer is brushed off with a machine or with a brush.
The most popular concrete sealers are penetrating concrete sealers. Penetrating concrete sealers penetrate the concrete surface they are applied to. This allows the concrete sealers the opportunity to bond to the concrete much more securely than other sealers. At the same time, penetrating concrete sealers are also the best kind to use on newly poured concrete. New concrete is often very fragile and if the concrete sealer is not well applied, it can easily be lifted off by hand and replaced with another type of sealing agent.
Protection
In addition to protecting concrete surfaces from damage, concrete sealers are also great at protecting concrete surfaces from deterioration. If you have driveways or sidewalks that get a lot of traffic, applying concrete sealers can help protect those surfaces from water damage. These sealants also make it easier to repair cracks that develop because of heavy traffic. By providing additional coverage rate, concrete sealers can help repair cracks in concrete much more quickly. By repairing cracks faster, you can avoid having to replace the concrete entirely.
On the flip side, concrete sealers are generally not as beneficial for concrete walkways. These types of walkways generally do not require the level of protection that driveways do. The reason for this is because concrete walkways are not usually exposed to quite the amount of traffic. You can apply concrete sealants on concrete walkways, however; but the result will not be as effective. In general, concrete sealants are generally used on concrete driveway sealer.
At the end of the day, the decision to go with concrete sealers or concrete sealants will depend on your needs and budget. Concrete sealants generally offer a lower gloss appearance than concrete sealers. They also do not offer the same degree of protection from water damage and corrosion that concrete sealers do. It will generally come down to which type of look you are looking for and which type of protection you need. However, if you are not worried about looks or protection, then concrete sealers will be your best bet.
