The Different Options That You Have With Regards To Concrete Sealants

You can classify concrete sealants into two main groups – organic and inorganic. They can be quite effective when it comes to preventing concrete efflorescence.

What are organic sealants?

When it comes to organic sealants following are the main categories on offer:

• acrylic sealers
• epoxy coatings
• urethane sealants
• polyureas
• polyaspartics

There are plenty of other examples in this regard as well. All of them have a common characteristic – they all leave a film on the surface of the concrete where you have applied them. They are held in place by a mechanical bond as such.
There are plenty of other examples in this regard as well. All of them have a common characteristic – they all leave a film on the surface of the concrete where you have applied them. They are held in place by a mechanical bond as such.
epoxy coatings urethane sealants polyureas polyaspartics There are plenty of other examples in this regard as well. All of them have a common characteristic – they all leave a film on the surface of the concrete where you have applied them. They are held in place by a mechanical bond as such.

What are inorganic concrete sealants?

Inorganic concrete sealants are normally created from natural compounds like minerals that are sourced from the planet. They can be effective when combined with a good efflorescence cleaner. They react chemically with the concrete to create a permanent bond. This is supposed to repel the likes of liquid and dirt, and they also do not have any film atop the concrete.

An alternative to the glossy coating

As far as glossy coats are concerned these inorganic sealants can be regarded as the ideal substitutes for the same. They are also a lot less poisonous and they do not contain any VOC (volatile organic compound) as well. They also cost a lot less. They should work well with an efflorescence remover. They are also a lot easier to apply as well. They are more or less permanent too.

Preparations in this regard

In this case, you need to know that if you want to coat your floor successfully with an inorganic product you would not much else by way of preparation. But, you need to make sure that the concrete does not have any curing compound or other sealers as such.

Concrete hardeners

These inorganic concrete sealants are classified as concrete hardeners. There are four major types in this regard and they have 5 major properties. They may be enumerated as below:

• magnesium fluorosilicates
• lithium silicates
• sodium silicates 

Magnesium fluorosilicates

These are supposed to be the oldest of their kind. But, they need to be applied a lot of times and perhaps this is the reason why they are not so preferred nowadays. They may not be able to prevent concrete efflorescence as such.

Sodium silicates 

They happen to be the cheapest of the lot. At the same time, however, they do not offer a whole lot of penetration. 

So, you may have to use efflorescence cleaner in these cases. Sodium silicates are also incapable of beading water. They have also used the most in concrete hardeners all around. They are normally applied by mechanical action. The main intention over here is to break down the tension on the surface. They can be misted with water in order to create a gel. After that, they are rinsed and removed by using a wet vacuum.

Conclusion 

Thus, as you can see, all these products happen to be great alternatives when it comes to organic coatings and you can use them in a wide range of concrete surfaces.