Polyaspartic sealers are a relatively new phenomenon that are increasingly becoming more popular as part of epoxy floor systems. However, they are also standalone products that may be the perfect choice for your particular concrete project. While acrylic sealers are great for decorative concrete and penetrating sealers are perfect for surfaces like basement floors that need deep protection, polyaspartics are slightly different.
Polyaspartic sealers are a surface level sealer, like acrylics and epoxies. Rather than penetrate into the concrete, they will remain on the surface to be applied comprehensively to cover the concrete surfaces they are meant to protect. They tend to be solvent-based, rather than water-based, providing thorough and lasting protection.
Polyaspartics are technically a type of urethane sealers. Urethanes, such as aliphatic urethanes, tend to be one- or two-component polymers that have varying solids contents. This means they are a perfect choice for floors and other concrete surfaces with high traffic and risk of abrasions, scratches, and spills. Polyaspartics feature excellent hardness and abrasion resistance, all while repelling chemical and moisture stains.
Polyaspartics are fast becoming recognized as a miracle material. They demonstrate excellent flexibility, able to bridge small cracks and protect already cracked surfaces. Similarly, they can be applied at almost any temperature, always featuring incredible bond strength to the concrete substrate. They are long-lasting, clear, and they can easily be applied over an epoxy basecoat or a number of epoxy basecoats.
The best quality polyaspartics possess, however, is its incredibly fast tack-free dry time. Drying in as little as one hour, depending on the particular conditions of each project, polyaspartics are the best choice for retail stores, industrial warehouses, business parks, and other places whose concrete is in need of help. Simply apply the polyaspartic coating overnight, and the floor will be dry and ready to use by the morning. The high level of protection afforded by polyaspartics, in conjunction with their exceptionally fast dry time, make them an ideal choice for many concrete sealing situations.
Our Take: One of the best polyaspartics is Polyaspartic 745 with a super fast dry time of 1-3 hours
With all of the concrete in the world (trust me, it’s an incredible amount), there are a number of different projects and uses people find for the material’s presence. However, all concrete, regardless of the project, is susceptible to environmental damage and gradual erosion due to the elements. Everyone has seen decrepit sidewalks cracked and spalled over time, allowing weeds to grow through, as well as slowly decaying bridge supports that are a major cause for concern in some areas of the country. There are an enormous number of other examples of decaying concrete, all of which emphasize the importance of taking the proper steps to seal and protect your concrete projects as soon as they are completed.
The best, easiest, and most cost effective way to protect concrete is by sealing it with a high quality concrete sealer. However, how do you know which product to use on your particular project? There is an incredible variety of sealers on the market, and it can often be confusing and daunting to wade through the many offerings.
To begin, if you have any sort of decorative concrete, such as a patio pool deck or a driveway made of pavers, you want to use an acrylic concrete sealer. An acrylic sealer will not harm your more delicate, decorative concrete. Instead of penetrating into the material, an acrylic sealer will remain on the surface, with its large particles of sealant unable to penetrate past the tiny surface pores. Pooling on the surface for you to spread out during the application process, the acrylic sealer will eventually provide a comprehensive layer of protection, much like a raincoat, over the surface of your concrete.
If you have more durable concrete, however, such as in a garage or a basement, you will likely want to use a penetrating concrete sealer. Penetrating sealers have smaller particles of sealant that can penetrate past the miniscule surface pores, delving deep into the concrete. Once in the concrete, the sealers will react with the various minerals already in the concrete, chemically strengthening and densifying the material. A by-product to this strengthening is the blocking up of pores and hairline cracks within the concrete, helping improve the concrete’s resistance to water damage. The better products on the market will even waterproof your concrete – most penetrating sealers are even permanent as well, providing life-long protection.
Another option in concrete sealer is if you want to put in a decorative floor system. If you have a gray, plain concrete slab as a floor, such as in retail stores, warehouses, or industrial-type buildings, then you may want to increase the visual appeal of your space. The easiest way to do this while also protecting the concrete is to use an epoxy floor system. Epoxies are a type of concrete sealer that remain on the surface level. They are durable and high-resistance, making them perfect for places with high traffic and the potential for damage from abrasions and scratches. Simply apply the epoxy basecoats, add any sort of decorative aggregate you desire (such as quartz, sand, or paint chips), and finish it off with a urethane or polyaspartic topcoat. A urethane topcoat will be clear and will feature strong resistance to spills and abrasions. A polyaspartic is actually just another type of urethane coat, though it dries incredibly fast, making it a premier choice for those wishing to finish projects overnight (re: many retail stores).
All of these options are great for protecting, and even enhancing, your various concrete slabs. Whatever your project, there will always be a best choice in concrete sealer, making it imperative that you do your research thoroughly before purchasing the sealer and getting to work.
Cure and seal products are a great way to protect and cure a new slab of concrete. While concrete is known to be strong and durable, nigh indestructible, it does not just appear that way. Instead, it goes through a long and delicate process of mixing and curing that gives it its strength. If you see cracked, crumbling concrete, it is likely that the concrete has actually been poorly mixed and cured. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure your concrete cures properly.
Concrete is mixed with Portland cement, water, and some sort of aggregate, like gravel or sand. Once mixed, it is poured and spread out, according to the project’s needs. However, after it has been poured, the concrete needs to cure for the proper amount of time. The key to curing is to maintain a consistence level of moisture and temperature, which helps the concrete gain most of its potential strength. Without a proper curing process, the concrete will never be as strong as it could be, and it will manifest problems later in its life.
A cure and seal is a product that provides a membrane over the top of freshly poured concrete. This membrane helps retain the proper amount of moisture while keeping the concrete at an adequate temperature for the curing process to be at its most effective. While the curing process is traditional done with burlap sacks or tarps and a consistent stream of water, cure and seal products are relative newcomers to the stage.
The biggest advantage to cure and seal products is that they provide a layer of protection for your concrete above and beyond what a traditional curing process will give. Typically, once the concrete is cured after the thirty-day period, it is ready to be used, though it is not protected from stains and negative effects of weathering. However, concrete treated with a cure and seal process is cured and sealed, just as the name implies. That means that the concrete actually comes into the world sealed, protected from potential disasters in the early stages of its life. While the seal will have to be renewed some years later, depending on the cure and seal product used, as well as a variety of other factors, the concrete will be able to repel stains and increase its longevity at crucial stages in its existence.
Our Take: Some excellent cure and seal sealers include Aqua-Cure VOC and we like the Lithi-Tek LS 9500 a penetrating densifier and waterproofer that can also be used as a cure and seal.
Once you have decided that you want to protect your concrete with a concrete sealer, ensuring the material lasts a long time through many different environmental scourges, the next question is which type of concrete sealer to use. Once you have decided on a concrete sealer, then you begin to think about application.
Concrete sealers come in a few different varieties, each requiring a different method of application. For all varieties you will first want to begin by cleaning the slab of concrete you’re going to be applying the sealer to. If the concrete is newly poured, you will want to wait at least thirty days or more, depending on the project, in order to ensure it has properly cured to its full strength. However, if the concrete is older, you will want to make sure that the surface is free from debris and other such hindrances. Occasionally, if your concrete is in really bad condition, you need to acid etch the surface to remove the damaged concrete.
If you choose a penetrating sealer, you want to use either a nap roller or a sprayer. Airless sprayers tend to be the best method of application, though they can be expensive. After the surface has been cleaned, you want to apply a thin coat covering the entire concrete area. Next, you want to wait a certain amount of time – depending on the sealer used, the environmental conditions, and the amount of coats you need – before applying a second coat. While certain products require a certain number of coats, if you need more coats you have to apply the first, waiting for it to dry before applying the second. For penetrating sealers you continue this until the concrete has been saturated and does not need any further sealer to penetrate into the concrete.
If you choose a surface sealer, such as an epoxy or an acrylic, the process is similar. Following any instructions provided by the manufacturer, you will generally want to spread out the sealer evenly over the concrete using either a roller or an airless sprayer. While rollers function well enough, they are not a good choice if you have a high-solids mixture of sealer. Instead, you should use an airless sprayer. Low-pressure sprayers only are a good choice with one-component solvent-based products, though airless sprayers are universally the best choice for any type of application. For the surface sealers, keep adding layers of sealer onto the slab according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For all sealer and sealing projects, make sure to wait the recommended time for the sealer to dry before touching it, walking on it, and placing heavy objects on the concrete surface. If you apply the concrete sealer to the concrete properly, then you will not have to worry about preventable damage for a number of years, depending on your choice in sealer.
Picture this: you have just finished building your dream home and everything has worked out perfectly. The concrete in your basement has cured and proven its strength by holding up the rest of your house. The driveway has just finished curing, ready for your cars to drive up it. The garage has also finished its processes, ready to house your vehicles and various possessions, protecting them from the elements.
You envision yourself living in this home forever, at least until your kids go to college. However, you know the risks and the damages that can plague a home over the course of decades: natural disasters, floods, and everyday weathering can deteriorate your concrete over time. After investing so much time and effort into crafting the perfect home, how can you protect it?
The easiest and most cost effective way to protect your concrete investment is by treating the material with a high quality concrete sealer. While they have been around for a while, concrete sealers are fast becoming more and more popular as chemical formulas improve with recent technological advancements. The right choice in a concrete sealer, as well as proper application and care, can preserve the strength and efficacy of your concrete surfaces for as long as you would ever need them.
Concrete has potential to be one of the longest lasting materials in history – the Egyptian pyramids in Ancient Egypt were even constructed from a primitive form of concrete, and they’re still standing strong. Why shouldn’t your home, or any other concrete structure you own, exhibit the same longevity? Concrete sealers are cost effective and relatively east-to-apply solutions to preserving your concrete while protecting it from the long-term damage the sun, road salt, chemical spills, water damage, and many more calamities can have on the material.