Outdoor concrete takes wear and tear year-round. In the Western United States, the extremes from season to season can take a toll on your outdoor concrete surfaces. The solution to the problem of consistent concrete damage is ensuring that the concrete is protected from water, cracks from extreme heat and sun and the notorious freeze-thaw cycles that happen every winter.
Quality outdoor concrete sealing is the best way to keep your concrete surfaces looking their best, no matter the season. According to A1 Concrete Leveling & Foundation Repair, concrete surface sealer can prevent the need to replace your concrete, which can be time consuming and expensive.
How to Choose the Best Sealer for Your Outdoor Concrete
Outdoor concrete is well protected from water penetration, stains and corrosion with a high-quality surface sealer. In one way or another, a sealer helps to protect against ice, moisture, deicers, excess wear and more. When it comes to the right sealer for concrete, it’s always best to buy the best. High-quality sealer products, like those sold at Intermountain Concrete Specialties, last longer and won’t yellow, unlike epoxy sealers, that can yellow in the sun.
According to Concrete Network, a quality concrete sealer should extend the life of your concrete surface, prevent moisture issues, preserve the appearance of the concrete and provide stain resistance. Need help deciding on which type of concrete sealer is best for your specific needs? Find out now.
Penetrating vs. Surface Concrete Sealer
Basically, there are two types of concrete sealers: surface (film-forming) sealers and penetrating (under the surface) sealers. Whether you choose a concrete penetrating or surface sealer depends on where your concrete surface is located, how much traffic it sees and if you need to cover up stains.
Surface concrete sealers create a protective, physical membrane on the concrete surface and are most often used in lower-traffic areas or on decorative surfaces. These are usually acrylic, and either a water base or solvent base, and can cover up stains on your concrete surface. Solvent base sealers are generally used outdoors, while water base sealers are used indoors. Any form-filming membrane can get slippery when wet. So, if you are concerned with a slippery surface, we typically recommend a grit be added to the sealer—specifically, WR Meadows Sure Step.
We recommend and carry these surface concrete sealers:
- Solvent base (generally outdoor use): WR Meadows CS-309-OTC, Decra-Seal, ICS 309, ICS High Gloss, Brickform – Poly-Seal
- Water base (generally indoor use): WR Meadows – Vocomp 20, Vocomp 25, Decra-Seal, NewLook – SmartSeal
- Epoxy and Urethanes (indoor use): Clear NewLook NL60
Penetrating concrete sealers work underneath the surface. Generally, they either chemically react with free lime to increase concrete strength and density or clog the pores of concrete to prevent anything from penetrating. A penetrating concrete sealer is good for high traffic surfaces, such as driveways.
Penetrating sealers are longer lasting as they do not “wear off,” as does a surface sealer. These also leave a natural look to the concrete and will not yellow, since they do not leave a membrane on the concrete surface.
We recommend and carry these penetrating concrete sealers:
- WR Meadows – Intraguard, Decra-Seal Natural, Pentreat 244, Convergent – Pentra-Sil 244+, Creto Worldwide – Creto, NewLook – SharkSeal, Master Builders – MasterProtect H400
How To Maintain Outdoor Concrete Sealer
Applying concrete sealers to new or old concrete alike can help protect it from corrosion and premature wear. But, like most things, concrete sealers require regular maintenance. Even light to moderate traffic areas should be resealed every three to five years. And frequent cleaning keeps outdoor concrete surfaces looking their best.
Choosing the right sealer for your application will help keep your concrete in the best condition possible, so you can enjoy it for years to come. Visit your local Intermountain Concrete Specialties location for any concrete help you need. With seven locations, from St. George to Idaho Falls, help is never far away.
