A Brief Guide on Deep Penetrating Concrete Sealer




Penetrating concrete sealer is an umbrella term used for describing numerous products and multiple chemistries. The only common thing in these chemistries is that these can penetrate the surface deeply while offering a certain level of stain resistance without leaving a film. The lack of film ensures that there won’t be any shine or gloss on the concrete surface. And here the concrete film would work as the wear surface.

 And wear protection has an important role to play in the field of the decorative world. Besides, the majority of these sealers are breathable and this allows the moisture vapour to escape. As these sealers offer great protection against all the harsh exposure situations, these are mostly used in the outdoor areas.

There are a number of deep penetrating concrete sealer materials available on the market like siloxanes, siliconates, silicates, silanes, etc. All these materials penetrate deeply into the concrete to prepare a chemical barrier, which offers shields against moisture penetration as well as deicing chemicals.

Although these sealers are comparatively new to the decorative industry, these have been successfully used in different markets for decades. These sealers were developed originally for industries like concrete flatwork, masonry, and stone.

Different applications of deep penetrating concrete sealers:

The main uses of deep penetrating concrete sealer are to resist acid and salt, to resist water and to control efflorescence. These sealers also decrease the ability of the substrates to absorb stains or water at the molecular level. For instance, the concrete surface usually has a range of pores or microscopic doors set from one end to another. And without the right sealer, these doors remain wide open allowing these pores to offer easy entry to the stains or water.

Here the sealers work by decreasing the substrate’s energy level to below the energy level of the staining material. Usually, this works as a battle between the stain and substrate with the least level of energy winning.

After the application of deep penetrating concrete sealer, the doors are not that open as wide that can keep the stain from reaching to the concrete surface. But here the doors are not completely closed. And this allows the gas and vapor to move through the substrate without letting the large molecules with higher energy to pass through.

For the areas like walkways and driveways of properties where good traction is necessary, the deep penetrating concrete sealers are a better option than the film-forming products like as polyurethane or acrylic. As these sealers don’t leave any glossy film, therefore these never contribute to the slipperiness of the concrete surfaces. These are the things that differentiate the breathable and water-resistant deep penetrating sealers from the impermeable waterproofing coating.

The deep penetrating concrete sealers are the perfect choice in case you have the goals like:

1. Obtaining a natural and matte finish.

2. Protecting the concrete surfaces of the exterior areas that are subject to freeze-thaw damage and corrosion.

3. Offering invisible protection without altering the appearance of the surface or leaving a sheen.

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