Should I Seal My Concrete Patio

Best Sealers For Patios

Now you know everything there is to know about the best sealers for patios. The only thing left to do is use our calculator so you can get an estimate of how much you need of our Oppercon Sealer. Or you can calculate this yourself. Remember you only need 1 liter for 88 ft².

Act now, dont delay. Order Oppercon Concrete Sealer Now. 1 Liter Oppercon can cover up to 88 square feet of concrete. It is waterproof, comes with 15 years of Guarantee and can withstand Snow, Ice and deicing salts.

• Very economical: depending on the porosity an average1 liter is sufficient for 88 ft².
• Available in 1 / 2,5 / 5 / 10 / 25 Liter.

Do I Need To Seal My Concrete Patio

Even though concrete patios arent exposed to vehicle traffic or deicing salts, like concrete driveways are, they still take plenty of punishment. Backyard barbecues, outdoor campfires, heavy foot traffic, and unrelenting sunshine can cause patios to fade, discolor, and abrade if you leave them unprotected.

Find concrete patio contractors near me.

The reasons for sealing a concrete patio are similar to those for waxing a car, wearing sunscreen, or applying stain repellent to new carpeting. Its done to enhance the appearance, keep the color from fading due to sun exposure, and protect it from stains and moisture absorption.

If your patio is located in a region of the country subject to freeze-thaw cycles, applying sealer will reduce the chance of freeze-thaw damage – the ugly surface spalling and scaling that can occur after water is absorbed into concrete and expands when it freezes. Although concrete patios arent typically exposed to deicing salts, which can aggravate the problem, they are still porous and will absorb water if left unsealed.

Is It Better To Roll Or Spray Patio Sealer

Many sealers for concrete patios can be applied using simple tools, such as a paint roller or pump-up sprayer. As a general guide, solvent-based sealers are best applied by spray while water-based sealers are best applied by roller. If the patio is textured or stamped, be sure to use a roller with a fairly thick nap so you can work it into the depressions. One of the best application techniques when sealing stamped or textured patios is to combine spraying followed by back rolling to keep the sealer from settling in low spots.

Whether you are rolling or spray applying a sealer, always follow the manufacturers recommended application guidelines and coverage rates. Often youll get better results by applying patio sealer in two thin coats, which will ensure more uniform coverage. If you apply the sealer too thickly, it will just lie or puddle on the surface rather than penetrate.

For more application tips see:Choosing the Best Applicator for Concrete Sealer

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Should I Seal My Concrete Driveway

Whether or not you should seal your concrete driveway is dependent upon several factors. While sealing a concrete driveway can extend the life of the concrete by preventing cracks and fading, it also can be a pain to install.

Sealer wears away and needs to be applied every few years. Once the sealer begins to wear, it can crack and peel, making your driveway unsightly. Sealing a patio or driveway can also be costly and time-consuming. And, since most sealers use dangerous solvents, theyre hazardous to work with.

How Should I Seal My Slabs

This will depend on the specific sealer you choose and its vital that you read and follow the manufacturers instructions carefully.

Instructions for use will differ from product to product and the amount that you will need to apply will usually depend on the type of stone you have, as well as the results you are looking for.

Always remove loose dirt, moss & other debris from the surface of the slabs first and check that any marks are cleaned off before sealing to avoid them being sealed into the surface of the stone. Test the sealer on an inconspicuous area or off-cut first, to be sure that it will provide the results you need before treating the full area.

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Why Wait To Seal Concrete

While it can be tempting to apply driveway concrete sealer right after it is poured, this is never recommended. There is excess moisture in the concrete that needs to evaporate during the curing process. The total curing process normally takes about a month before the concrete is solid and ready to be sealed.

If you were to seal the concrete any sooner, it would create a barrier and prevent the excess moisture from evaporating correctly. As a result, the newly poured concrete driveway would not be as strong as it should be. In addition, the concrete would be more prone to breaking and cracking. Furthermore, the concrete could become uneven as the concrete would not be able to settle correctly.

How Often Do You Seal Concrete Patio

You may have seen a few commercials advising you to buy and apply their brand of concrete sealer to your patio or driveway every year.

However, this is usually an exaggeration from the home improvement companies behind the ads.

While you wont have to seal your concrete patio annually, applying an efficient sealer every couple years should help make your concrete slab stronger and get rid of any etching.

If you live in a region that experiences snowy winters with freeze-thaw cycles, sealing your concrete patio during fall will help safeguard it from freeze-thaw damage in winter.

For the first time you sealed your concrete patio- you might have failed to undertake surface profiling to establish whether your concrete patio is porous enough to properly soak and adhere onto the surface.

If this is the case and you have a tight concrete surface, you might have to apply a sealer more frequently as it wont take long before it starts flaking off.

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Why Do You Need To Seal Concrete

If you own a home or building, theres a good chance concrete was used to build it. Concrete is one of the most common construction materials in the world. And one of the strongest. Its used to build homes and buildings, bridges, sidewalks, patios, floors, sidewalks and so much more. If you want to preserve and protect your concrete for the long term then a good sealer can help.

While concrete is strong and durable, its porous and prone to cracks. Concrete can degrade due to the elements or sun damage. While it has the potential to last for generations, it can potentially weaken and break if it isnt cared for.

The best way to protect concrete is to use a concrete sealer as soon as its finished curing. Without a sealer, your concrete will be more vulnerable to preventable and expensive damage. Its a lot cheaper and easier to apply a sealer every few years then it is to repair a cracked patio.

Concrete sealers come in a variety of types. Topical sealers like acrylics are great for colored concrete because they enhance the color while protecting from sun, rain, mold and mildew. Epoxies, urethanes, and polyaspartics, are good for high traffic/high chemical risk concrete surfaces that are found in places like industrial warehouses, retail stores, bus stations and airports. There are penetrating sealers, like silicates, that chemically react and increase the concretes strength.

Below well look at a few types in more detail.

Water beads on the sealed surface of concrete.

The Value Of Concrete Sealing

• Justin Trotta
• Category: Concrete Cleaning & Sealing

Homeowners appreciate concrete and masonry because they are super durable materials. To keep these surfaces looking great over time, however, they should be properly sealed. Bricks, pavement and concrete will all last longer if treated with a waterproof sealer.

Learn more about the benefits of sealing your concrete residential driveways, patios, garage floors and more. We have also provided a quick guide to the different types of sealers available.

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Types Of Concrete Sealer

Sealants can work in 2 diffrent ways either providing a protective barrier over the surface or impregnating sealer sinks into the concrete and has a more natural or invisible finish.

If desired sealers can offer a wide choice of gloss sheens ranging from matt to high gloss and wet look.

Tinted sealers or colour enhancers are another option if you wish to darken or change the actual colour and appearance. If a change of colour is required the best way to achieve it is the gradual use of enhancer until the desired colour is achieved. This is the safest way to ensure you get the colour you want and the surface should then have a separate sealant applied to protect and lock in the colour.

Pattern imprinted concrete also known as stamped or decorative concrete must have a sealer applied to protect the decorative overlay. Depending on the amount of foot and vehicle traffic the surface is subjected to, and the type of sealer used, it is likely to need reapplying every 2 or 3 years.

Before applying concrete sealer the driveway or patio should first be cleaned and then allowed to dry for 24 hours.

Newly cured concrete should be given 28 days to fully cure before applying sealant.

Gleam Team Cleaning Services can clean and seal all types of plain and coloured concrete as well as pattern imprinted concrete and all surfaces including block paving, slabs, Indian Sandstone and limestone.

How Do I Prepare The Surface

The answer to this question often depends on whether youre applying sealer to a new of existing concrete patio. In order for a sealer to properly adhere to the concrete, the surface must be free of dirt, oil stains, existing coatings, and any other substance that might inhibit sealer penetration. Newly placed concrete patios typically require very little preparation, while existing surfaces may need to be power washed with soap and water and possibly acid etched.

The porosity of the concrete is also important and will determine how well the sealer will soak into the surface. If the sealer can’t adhere, it won’t be long before it peels off and flakes away. Because most patios are hand troweled, they are usually porous enough to accept a low-solids sealer without additional surface profiling. However, if the concrete is very tight or dense, you may need to open up the surface by light sanding or acid etching. For more guidance, see Preparing Surfaces for Sealer Application.

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How Much Does It Cost To Seal A Concrete Driveway

While prices vary depending on the quality of the sealer, most penetrating sealers for concrete cost about $100 for a 5-gallon container. That said, some products cost as much as $200 for a 5-gallon container.

Before running out and buying the cheaper option, consider that more expensive products may last longer, increasing the length of time in between resealing efforts. Five gallons of sealant is about enough to cover 500 square feet of the driveway however, if the driveway is very porous, you may only get about half that coverage.

Once a driveway is sealed, it will take significantly less sealant to reseal. Keep in mind that most concrete sealer is applied with a sprayer. If you dont have one, then youll need to rent one, which is an additional expense youll need to factor in.

Why Would I Use An Epoxy Sealer Instead Of A Urethane Sealer

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Radonseal Lastiseal Penetrating Sealer: Water Based

Most stamped concrete contractors like myself use solvent acrylic based sealers on our stamped concrete projects. The solvent sealers make the colors “POP” and generally work the best. Especially for exterior stamped concrete.

If you prefer a HIGH GLOSS shine to your stamped concrete, I would consider using Foundation Armor’s AR 500 High Gloss Sealer.

Effects Of Sealing Flagstone

stone peeling up, dont seal flagstone

Flagstones are usually sedimentary stone, that is built up in layers. The layers are often different colors It seems that what happened is the stones absorbed groundwater from below, and could not evaporate. Then freeze-thaw came along, and that moisture that was trapped just below the stones surface went and froze, causing the topmost layer to flake up, peel off, delaminate, or spall. Hence, the beautiful colors of your flagstone were ruined.

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How Often Should Paver Sealer Be Reapplied

The basic rule of thumb is every 3-5 years. For film-forming sealants, you will be able to notice when the physical barrier is showing signs of wear. For non-film-forming sealants, you will begin to see a significant color change of pavers during a rain when the sealant is wearing thin. Keep in mind that in cases of a really heavy rain, even well-sealed pavers may darken for a couple of days until the water fully evaporates, which is not an indication of sealant failure.

Benefits Of Concrete Sealing

Sealing a driveway or patio can help beautify and protect it from stains, cracks, and other wear and tear. Below, well review each of the advantages.

Repels moisture

This is the most compelling reason for sealing concrete. Driveways and patios get exposed to a lot of moisture, mostly in the form of rain. Bare concrete will absorb any moisture that falls on it, which can eventually damage the concrete, especially if that moisture freezes after soaking into it. The sealer creates a barrier that prevents moisture from soaking into the pores of the concrete.

Provides UV protection

In addition to protecting from the damaging effects of water, sealer also helps protect concrete from powerful UV radiation. UV rays can break down the polymers and bonds in concrete, weakening it and causing it to deteriorate over time into a fine powder. Many sealants have additives that block UV rays, preventing them from reaching and eroding the concrete.

Can prevent cracks

When water is allowed to soak into concrete, it can freeze, expand, and create cracks. In some cases, this can even lead to frost heave, which causes large chunks of concrete to break away from and lift higher than the surrounding concrete. Since water cant pass through the sealant, it cant infiltrate the concrete and cause cracks.

Prevents Stains

Extends life of a concrete slab

Improves appearance

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What Sealer Do I Use To Seal My Stamped Concrete

There are two basic types of sealers for stamped concrete, one is a penetrating sealer the other is a film forming sealer.

• Foundation Armor WL550 – Penetrating Wet Look Sealer That Forms A Water Repellent Barrier Inside The Concrete.
• Foundation Armor AR350 – Topical Wet Look Sealer That Protects and Enhances The Color of the Concrete and Leaves A Matte Look.
• Foundation Armor AR500 – Topical High Gloss Sealer That Protects and Enhances The Concrete While Leaving A Shiny look.

There are many different brands of stamped concrete sealers to choose from. Finding the one that will work best for your stamped concrete is what I’ll help you figure out.

Sealing your stamped concrete is a very important step to maintaining its durability and beautiful appearance.

If your concrete is sealed correctly, it will help protect it from damaging water, chemicals, stains, oil, and freeze/thaw cycles in colder climates.

What Is The Best Sealer For Concrete

There are different kinds of concrete sealers. Some are meant only for indoor use while others for the outdoors. Recently scientists have developed sealers that are good for both indoors and outdoors. A good concrete sealer should protect your concrete from water damage and sun exposure damage equally. It should be strong enough to fight all kinds of weather conditions as well. Freezing and thawing can damage ordinary sealers while the Oppercon sealer can withstand all kinds of weather conditions. Its one of our most popular products.

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Common Mistakes People Make When Sealing Their Driveways

The biggest mistake people make when they want to seal their driveways themselves is applying the sealant too soon. They do not wait until the driveway is fully cured. This mistake ends up costing in the long run because their new driveway will not last as long and can develop large cracks and other problems, which have to be repaired.

Another mistake people make when sealing old concrete is not cleaning their driveway before applying the sealant. When dirt, dust, and other types of debris are trapped under the sealant, it affects the performance of the concrete. Leaves are especially notorious for staining concrete if they are not cleaned off ahead of time.

Another issue that arises is when choosing the right sealant for an old concrete driveway. If you do not select the right one, it may not provide the right protection you require for your concrete driveway. For instance, if you just apply a glossy sealant, it may not have stain protection.

Last, not caring for your driveway after it is sealed can be a common mistake. The sealant does eventually wear off and need to be reapplied. If sealant is not reapplied at the right intervals, the concrete is no longer protected.

As you can see, these mistakes can be quite easy to make. This is why our concrete patios and driveways company recommends having us install and seal your new concrete driveway, as well as take care of any repairs and resealing you need.