When it comes to sealing your concrete sidewalk there are three different types of concrete sealers you can use. You can use a concrete densifier sealer, a concrete water repellent sealer, and an acrylic concrete sealer. Which type of concrete sidewalk sealer is best for sealing your concrete sidewalk will depend on what you want your concrete sidewalk to look like once sealed, and your reason for sealing the sidewalk.
| Silicate Concrete Sealers | Water Repellent Concrete Sealers | Acrylic Concrete Sealers |
| Won’t change the look of the concrete | Won’t change the look of the concrete | Enhances with a wet look or gloss |
| Works entirely below the surface | Works entirely below the surface | Leaves a visible surface film |
| Lasts forever | Lasts 7-10 years | Lasts 1-5 years |
| Increase strength of concrete | Repels surface water | Protects surface against staining |
| Reduces dusting and spalling | Reduces staining and deterioration | Stops dusting, staining, deterioration |
| Can only be used on cured concrete | Can be used on cured and uncured concrete | Can be used on cured and uncured concrete |
Concrete Densifier Sealers: Concrete densifiers are great to use if your concrete sidewalk is having issues with dusting or deterioration caused by weak concrete or surface abrasion. Densifiers chemcially react below the surface to form a hardened crystalline barrier within the pores. Densifier sealers only need to be sealed once as the results of the chemical reaction are permanent.
Densifiers are great for increasing the strength of concrete, but they don’t protect the concrete against deterioration and staining caused by water absorption. If you have issues caused by salt damage, freeze-thaw cycles, staining, mold and mildew, or efflorescence you should consider a water repellent sealer instead. Densifiers can be used in addition to water repellent sealers so long as the densifier is applied at least a week before the water repellent sealer is applied. It isn’t always required, but it never hurts to apply a densifier if the concrete has never been sealed before.
- Armor S2000 Concrete Sealer Review (concentrated)
- RadonSeal Concrete Sealer Review (pre-diluted)
- Stone Technolgies X-1 Concrete Sealer Review (pre-diluted)
- Ashford Formula Concrete Sealer Review (pre-diluted)
Concrete Water Repellent Sealers: Water repellent sealers are great to use if your concrete sidewalk is having issues with staining or deterioration caused by water absorption or freeze-thaw cycles. Water repellent sealers help to reduce cracking, spalling, pitting, staining, mold and mildew growth, and efflorescence.
- Armor SX5000 Concrete Sealer Review (average 4.8 star review)
- Siloxane PD Concrete Sealer Review (average 4.5 star review)
- DryWay Water Repellent Concrete Sealer Review (average 3.8 star review)
Acrylic Concrete Sealers: Acrylic sealers are great to use if you want a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish. They also help to protect the concrete sidewalk against damage and deterioration caused by water absorption and surface abrasion.
- Eagle High Gloss Sealer (average 4.6 star review)
- Armor AR350 Wet Look Sealer (average 4.8 star review)
- Armor AR500 High Gloss Sealer (average 4.9 star review)
- Enduraseal SB Acrylic Sealer (average 4.5 star review)
