There are two types of products that can be used for protecting concrete from damage caused by salt. You can use a penetrating water repellent sealer (silane siloxane) that will stop concrete from absorbing water carrying salts, or you can use a concrete coating (acrylic) that will put a barrier between the concrete and the water carrying the salt.

When shopping for the best sealer, there are a few things to consider.

Best Concrete Sealers

• Look at the tech data sheet for the solids content. You want a high solids sealer for better protection. The best percent solids will be a 40% solids solution but in some applications, a 20% may be sufficient. Do not purchase  a low solids solution (found in Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards and other box stores). Low solids solutions (2%-12%) will penetrate well but they offer very little surface protection and life.
• Consider a solvent based over a water based. Solvent based sealers tend to be higher solids and have been linked to better performance and life over water based sealers. While this statement hasn’t been supported by any one organization, most contractors would agree.

Best Concrete Coatings

• Look for a solvent based acrylic lacquer. These types of coatings will penetrate well and offer superior bonding and performance over other types of acrylics. Further, solvent based acrylics are easy to maintain. When then coating starts to wear, you can use Zylene and put more down. With water based, you need to remove what is down and start from scratch.
• Do not use an epoxy or a polyurethane on an exterior surface. These types of coatings are not breathable and will peel off in one sheet once moisture becomes present. Further, when it is time to touch up the coating, you will need to remove the entire coating and start from scratch or grind off the surface layer.

Products

Our suggested manufacturers:

1. Foundation Armor – Manufacturer of professional grade concrete sealers and concrete coatings. Foundation Armor sells directly to homeowners and contractors.
2. Prosoco – Manufacturer of concrete sealers and concrete coatings. Prosoco sells directly to distributors.
3. Okon – Manufacturer of concrete sealers and concrete coatings. Okon sells directly to distributors.