When getting ready to purchase a concrete sealer there are many factors to consider. Application, longevity, quality, strength, durability and last but not least price. Concrete sealers are sold at a variety of price points but there are a few factors to consider before buying the cheapest priced sealer out there.
Active ingredients are important: is the sealer latex based or acrylic based? If so these sealers are usually cheaper but are not always the best products to use on concrete. Is the sealer a silane/siloxane? If so it is probably more expensive but will be the most effective on concrete blocks and cinderblocks. Silicates tend to be similarly manufactured in either sodium, lithium and potassium form. When it comes to choosing a silicate densifier look for one that will give you the most bang for your buck.
You also have to be aware if the sealer is concentrated or not. You may think you are not paying a lot for a sealer but in fact, it could be heavily diluted with water. We prefer concentrated sealers. Not only are you getting the sealer in its natural manufactured state, but you are not paying to ship water.
Our Take: Concentrated sealer brands we like are Supreme Crete and Ghostshield.
With a multitude of concrete sealing options available on the market it can be extremely difficult choosing not only the correct product for your application but the correct brand of product for your application. There are hundreds of companies claiming to all sell the best products with guaranteed warranties and added this and added that. That is why being an informed consumer and reading independent review sites is the best way to make an informed decision.
Sealers for concrete is not a new concept or theory. Since the early 1900’s concrete sealers have been used to seal and prevent common concrete mild and mildew problems. There are companies who have been in business since then and are still selling the same formulations. Let me ask you something, do you really want to use a product that has not been updated to keep up with the times?
Quality and attention to detail is an extremely important yet overlooked factor when it comes to choosing a concrete sealer. With today’s ‘industrial grade’ concrete sealers being sold over the internet a website is an important, yet overlooked indication of quality. A companies logo, branding, website and labeling can tell a lot about a company. If it is something that looks like it was just thrown together, it probably was. If a company is successful and goes the extra mile and spends time on their website and their branding, just imagine the quality and the attention to detail that goes into their sealer formulations. Now this may not always be the case, there can be some fantastic products with a lack of creative marketing. However, as a general rule if you are successful and have had continued success you are going to want to create the easiest, friendliest materials and site experience for the end user to showcase and share your products with the world.
The longevity of concrete sealers is dependent on a number of factors. First being the type of concrete sealer, meaning its composition – acrylic, epoxy, urethane, silicate. On average acrylic sealers tend to need reapplication within a year or two of being applied. Since they are topical sealers adhering to the concrete they are prone to traffic which causes flaking, peeling and bubbling. There are some excellent acrylics out there, mainly water based acrylics, that will last up to 5 years before needing to be re-applied. Since water based versions do not leave a high gloss shine there is less risk of the aforementioned issues. Solvent based acrylics may peel, flake and decomposed quicker at signs of UV rays and traffic.
Epoxies and urethanes if applied to a clean surface with a good surface porosity (using an epoxy primer and urethane top coat) will adhere and last up to 10 years. Silicates on the other hand are penetrating densifiers which have no risk of peeling, flaking or bubbling. Through a chemical reaction they form a denser, harder, stronger slab which is why many companies offer lifetime warranties on these products. If your concrete is at no risk for water issues and you use a silicate densifier to seal the concrete you should not need to reapply or seal it.
Our Take: Look for companies like Kretetek and Stone Technologies, offering warranties on their products so you will be covered if their products do not live up to their claims.
With the cost of natural gases and oil rising in many parts of the country, upcoming winters promise to present a difficult choice between heating your home and living somewhat uncomfortably while wearing many layers. However, it doesn’t have to be that black and white of a decision. A newer phenomenon among those home and business owners with concrete floors is radiant floor heating.
Radiant floor heating is a method of heating concrete floors, walls, and other surfaces with tubes running underneath the concrete. Concrete can get very cold, especially in the winter. Anyone who has walked over a bare concrete floor in the winter knows that feeling of iciness that permeates through the soles of your feet to creep through the rest of your body. Radiant floor heating offers an ingenious and cost effective way to heat up those floors while saving you money on your heat, electric, and gas bills.
While it is easier to install a radiant floor heating system before you pour your concrete slabs, it’s not impossible to add to a pre-existing concrete floor. If you haven’t yet poured the concrete, however, the process is as simple as installing a network of small tubes designed to carry either hot water or electrical current under your floors, which leads to them heating up and spreading that heat (or having that heat radiate, which is where the name comes from) throughout the rest of the concrete slab.
If you have a pre-existing concrete floor to which you want to add a radiant floor system, you simply have to add thin electrical current system mats under another layer of cement or gypsum overlay. Okay, maybe that isn’t so simple, but it certainly isn’t impossible. This method will add a radiant floor heating system to your home without significantly raising the height of your concrete floors.
Whichever route you go, a radiant floor heating system is a great, cost effective way to heat otherwise freezing concrete floors and walls throughout the colder months. It is not even necessarily just a fix for those living in places with harsh winters. Concrete is, by nature, a cold material, even in the summer or in warmer climates. If you or members of your family are sensitive to cold, it would be a good idea to look into radiant floor heating systems as a potential fix.