The two best sealers for stamped concrete are water repellent concrete sealers and acrylic sealers. Water repellent sealers are designed to work entirely below the surface of the stamped concrete without changing the look or color, and acrylic sealers are designed to enhance the stamped concrete with a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish. One type of sealer isn’t necessarily better than the other, but they function very differently in how they look and perform.
| Water Repellent Concrete Sealers | Acrylic Concrete Sealers |
| Won’t change the look of the concrete | Enhances with a wet look or gloss |
| Won’t stop color from fading | Stops color from fading |
| Works entirely below the surface | Leaves a visible surface film |
| Lasts 7-10 years | Lasts 1-5 years |
| Reduces staining and deterioration | Stops dusting, staining, deterioration |
| Can be used on cured concrete | Can be used on cured and uncured concrete |
Water Repellent Stamped Concrete Sealers
Water repellent sealers are usually used to seal stamped concrete that isn’t colored because water repellent sealers won’t help to enhance the color of the stamped concrete, or protect the color from fading. The most common type of water repellent sealer is a Silane-Siloxane sealer. Silane-Siloxane sealers chemically react below the surface to form an invisible hydrophobic barrier within the pores that causes water and other liquids to bead off the surface. Silane-Siloxane sealers won’t leave behind a surface film and the stamped concrete will look exactly as it did before being sealed.
- 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)
A second type of water repellent sealer is a siliconate water repellent but this type of water repellent is rarely used on stamped concrete as it can leave behind a white residue when applied to dark, colored, or dense concrete.
Acrylic Stamped Concrete Sealers
Acrylic concrete sealers are the most popular type of stamped concrete sealer because they enhance and protect the color from fading, and protect the concrete against deterioration caused by water absorption and surface abrasion.
If you want the concrete to have a gloss, but don’t want the darken or enhance the color, then you want a water based acrylic sealer:
- Seal-Krete Clear Seal Acrylic Sealer (average 4 star review)
- Armor WB25 Acrylic Sealer (average 4.9 star review)
If you want the concrete to look like what it looks like when wet, or enhance the color, then you want a solvent based acrylic sealer:
- 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)
