How To Expertly Seal Concrete
6th May 2020Are you tackling a concrete flooring project? Your work isn’t over just yet! To get the most out of an old concrete surface, or to protect your new flooring, you’ll need to apply concrete sealer to the entire surface area. This guide to concrete sealant will show you how to get the most out of your concrete flooring, and will also help you understand why this final step of your project is so essential.
Why Use Concrete Sealer?
Concrete is a versatile choice of paving stone for both interior and exterior purposes. As an affordable alternative to natural stone, concrete is incredibly durable and can handle heavy foot traffic as well as the weight of vehicles. This makes it a popular choice for driveways, garages, workshops, warehouses, retail spaces and production areas. Concrete is low maintenance too so long as you have applied a concrete floor sealer in order to protect the integrity of the material.
Concrete sealer provides a strong defence against stains from oil, paint or grease, but it also prevents dust and other debris from making contact with the surface of the floor. This creates an abrasion resistant barrier which is ideal for both interior and exterior applications. It can be used in both commercial and domestic settings, depending on your requirements.
The same steps are used when applying both concrete floor sealer and concrete driveway sealer – these are as follows:
Testing Out Your Concrete Sealer
As an optional step, you may wish to test out the application of concrete sealant before you apply it to a largescale surface area. Our sealant solutions are clear, but will appear opaque when wet. To gain an idea of the finished results, you can simply choose a small space to prepare and apply the sealant to. This will give you an idea of the porosity of your concrete and how much sealant may be absorbed during the application process. Once you’re happy with the results of your trial space, you can then progress to covering a larger area with your concrete floor sealer.
Preparation Steps Before Using Concrete Floor Sealer
Begin by removing any stains or dust from the surface area of your concrete, then wash with clean water and allow to dry thoroughly. You can use a squeegee to extract any excess water. You may wish to sweep or vacuum the surface of concrete afterwards to pick up the dust. If the surface you’re working with is flagged, then remember to remove any excess jointing sand from between your pavers.
If you’re applying concrete sealant to an existing surface, then your goal will be to rejuvenate the appearance of your flooring. Therefore, it will pay to put as much effort as possible into cleaning your concrete before you seal. By doing so, you’ll allow the concrete sealer to adhere properly to a fresh and clean surface.
If you have previously used concrete sealant on your flooring, then you should strip this before you begin. This is particularly essential if you have worked with a different brand in the past as it may not be compatible with your new and improved sealant. Remove all traces of the previous sealant for best results.
Applying Your Concrete Sealant
It’s important to choose the right conditions when applying your concrete floor sealer. Ideally, the environment should be warm, at least 10 degrees Celsius would be ideal, but certainly no lower than 5 degrees Celsius, nor higher than 30 degrees Celsius. Your aim is to avoid extreme temperatures.
To apply your choice of concrete sealant to a thoroughly prepared surface, use a brush, roller, spray or squeegee to sweep the sealant on top of the entire flooring. Remember to flood the joints of your paving with the sealant for maximum penetration and check to ensure that the surface is evenly coated. If any pools form, then take care to remove the excess solution with a sponge or roller as required. If any accidental splashes occur during application, then these should be removed immediately with a clean and moist cloth.
FAQ’s
How long should you wait before applying concrete sealant to new concrete?
If you have laid a brand-new concrete installation, then you should allow this to dry out thoroughly before attempting to seal it. Ideally, you should wait up to 8 weeks before beginning the preparation stage to apply your concrete sealer. Remember that if there is any dirt on the surface of your concrete, this will need to be removed and treated in the same way that an existing concrete floor should be.
How many coats of concrete sealer are required?
Resiblock’s concrete floor sealer and concrete driveway sealer are designed with convenience in mind. They are a one-coat product which will allow you to start enjoying your concrete flooring as soon as the sealant has dried out. However, if you wish to apply a second coat of sealer, which must be applied within 24 hours of the first coat, this is absolutely fine and will not cause any problems.
How long does the concrete floor sealer take to dry?
Our concrete sealer product should be ready for use in as little as 24 hours. After this time, it will be ready for both foot and vehicle traffic.
If you have any questions about our concrete sealer product or any of our other paving and sealing solutions, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our knowledgeable team of specialists are on hand with advice to assist with your installation project. We can help you choose the right product and provide application tips too. Contact Resiblock today.