Concrete Sealing: An Informative Guide

Concrete is the most popular material used for construction owing to its durability and strength. However, it has a few disadvantages as well, its porosity being one of them. This facilitates the absorption of all kinds of materials and thus makes the surface look unclean and shabby. An effective way to ensure your concrete lasts longer and can easily be cleaned is to seal it. 

Concrete sealing is a process that involves protecting the concrete from corrosion, staining, or surface damage. It is a process of securing the concrete to make it easier to clean up, durable, and prevents it from becoming slick. This is done by coating the surface with an impervious material that nullifies the porosity of concrete. Adding coloured pigments to the sealing layer can enhance the visual appeal of the concrete. 

Advantages of concrete sealing: 

Concrete sealing is a must as deterioration and wearing off of your concrete is quite a natural process. You can see evidence of it in the fractures that appear or the discolouration from random spills, and oxidation. Sealing prevents the concrete from looking old and weather-beaten.

• Effective concrete sealing ensures that the decline of your concrete is slowed down. 
• It has the ability to make your concrete flooring endure abrasions, thus adding to its longevity and making it sturdier. 
• Concrete sealing prevents the concrete surface from stains due to fuel, effervescence, oils, and grease.
• Moreover, mildew and fungal growth can be prevented by sealing. 
• Concrete sealing also saves a lot of your time which would have been spent cleaning the concrete.

Concrete sealing works in two ways:

• It stops outside agents from entering the concrete.
• It prevents substances from escaping from within the concrete. Thus, it is important to clean the concrete thoroughly before sealing it. 
• Concrete sealing is a lengthy and expensive process that requires a lot of effort. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that the floor is clean before sealing it. 
• Unclean floors can cause the seal to come out in flakes and thereby cause massive monetary losses.

Stages of concrete sealing:

The first stage in concrete sealing is to prepare the surface. This involves cleaning the dirt and debris thoroughly. It also involves making sure all grime from gaps and cracks are removed. The stains must be cleaned as well. Pressure cleaning is often recommended as it ensures that all impurities trapped under the concrete are removed.

Once the concrete is cleaned, a coat of the seal is applied with uniformity over the concrete surface. Make sure that the seal fills the gaps as well and provides a smooth surface. 

Apart from all the advantages listed above, sealing also adds an aesthetic value to your unpolished concrete. It is thus important to get your concrete sealing done by a professional who has prior experience. They ensure that you get a smooth looking concrete surface that is also highly durable and visually appealing.