CONCRETE SEALERS - BUYING TIPS(1)

Source:www.stonediamondtool.com Date:2018/10/22 Read:390

Questions to ask before you buy

Contributions by Bob Harris and Chris Sullivan

No decorative concrete installation is complete without the application of a sealer. Taking the time to put down this final layer of protection not only prolongs the life of your creative handiwork, but can also enhance and preserve its appearance.

The benefits, depending on the product used, include:

· Enriching the color intensity of the concrete, whether the color is integral, a stain or dye, or obtained from a dry-shake hardener and antiquing release.

· Adding sheen to the surface ranging from satin to high gloss.

· Blocking the penetration of dirt, oil, grease, chemicals, and stains, making the concrete easier to clean and maintain.

· Inhibiting dusting of the surface.

· Preventing the intrusion of water and chlorides, which minimizes freeze-thaw damage.

· Protecting against abrasion and wear.

To obtain all these great perks, however, you must choose the right sealer for the job at hand. You'll find hundreds of products on the market to suit just about every type of concrete application, but no one sealer is perfect for all projects. Even worse, using the wrong sealer or applying it improperly can ruin an otherwise flawless decorative concrete installation.

To help you sort through the options and avoid making mistakes you'll regret later, here's an overview of the basic types of sealers available, followed by a list of questions to ask when shopping around for the best product for your needs.

How Much Concrete Sealer Do I Need?

Once you single out the right sealer for your needs, the next step is to decide how much to buy. Generally, coverage rates for sealers are calculated by square footage. For example, the technical data sheet for the sealer you plan to use says the product has a coverage rate of approximately 250 square feet per gallon. Take the overall square footage of your project (let's use 900 square feet for this example) and divide it by the coverage rate:

900 sq. ft. / 250 = 3.6, or 4 gallons of sealer

Money-saving tip: If the sealer is available in 5-gallon pails, it might be cheaper in this case to purchase the 5-gallon container rather than four 1-gallon units (often larger containers are more economical). And it won't hurt to have some extra on hand in case you run into problems.

Source: Bob Harris' Guide to Concrete Overlays & Toppings

Is the Sealer Compatible with the Decorative Surface Treatment You're Applying?

Always check with the sealer manufacturer to verify the compatibility of its product with the decorative surface you plan to put it on. Some sealers may interact with certain overlays or coloring agents, resulting in unwanted side effects such as blistering, bubbling, or bleeding of color, according to Bob Harris, president of the Decorative Concrete Institute and author of a collection of training guides on decorative concrete.

If you plan to apply sealer to an overlay or topping, Harris recommends checking with the overlay manufacturer for recommendations as to the appropriate sealer to use. Or better yet, take the "systems approach" and select the sealer the overlay manufacturer sells specifically for use with its products.

Does the VOC Content of the Sealer Meet Current Federal and Local Regulations?

If you plan to use a solvent-based sealer, be sure to check the volatile organic compound, or VOC, content of the product to make sure it doesn't exceed acceptable levels in your area. The federal government as well as state and local agencies have mandated certain maximum allowable levels of volatile VOCs that concrete sealers are permitted to contain. Certain states default to the federal mandates while some set their own. At the local level, some counties and air-management districts set their own maximum VOC levels.

Not all solvent-based sealers contain the same amount of VOCs, points out Chris Sullivan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ChemSystems Inc., and author of the popular technical blog, Sullivan's Corner. For example, xylene is a common solvent found in concrete sealers and produces VOCs, while acetone, another common solvent found in concrete sealers, is considered an exempt solvent and produces no VOCs. The other key factor, notes Sullivan, is the solids content. The higher the solids content, the lower the liquid solvent and VOC content. You can find out the solids and VOC content for a sealer by looking at the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or specification sheet for the product.