If you want to find the best concrete sealer, you have to know how to find it. Thanks to marketing teams and SEO firms, finding the best product has become hard. Use this quick reference sheet to help you better find the concrete sealer you are looking for.
Penetrating Sealer or Coating:
First, what type of concrete sealer do you want? Concrete sealers fall into one of two categories: 1) penetrating sealer or, 2) coating. Penetrating sealers do just that, penetrate the concrete. They are designed to protect the concrete from the inside and usually have waterproofing abilities. Coatings sit on the surface of the concrete and are designed to protect the surface of the concrete. Most coatings are not desinged for waterproofing. If you need a waterproofer, and you want to coat the concrete (whether to protect the surface or give it an aesthetic appeal), use a penetrating sealer first then apply a coating to the surface.
Keep in mind, most penetrating concrete sealers last 5-10+ years while most coatings only last 1-3 years.
Color:
What do you want the concrete to look like when finished?
- Exactly like it did before being sealed: sodium silicate sealer
- Shine or gloss look: wet look concrete sealer or concrete stain
- Flat color: concrete paint or concrete dye
- Shiny color: acrylic or latex, concrete stain
Location:
If the concrete is inside your home, there are really only a few things to consider:
- Do you want to protect the concrete from water and moisture (waterproofing sealer) and
- What do you want the concrete to look like (natural or decorative).
For exterior concrete, there are a few other things you need to consider:
- How long does the sealer last?
- Will exposure to UV rays break it down?
- How much foot traffic will there be?
- What is the weather and climate like?
- How long does the sealer last?
- Is the sealer non-slip?
