Your concrete driveway, without any type of sealers applied, may be vulnerable to wear and tear from any kind of source. Be it your car or simply nature, your unsealed concrete driveway can instantly shred your money into nothing.
Applying sealers has proven to help a lot of home and property owners in maintaining their concrete driveways. Concrete surfaces are known to be porous, which means that a minimal amount of moisture can already damage the concrete in a matter of time. These surfaces can still live without sealers, but sealers prolong and extend the lifespan of your concrete surfaces and can even give you more added benefits in the long run.
Now, before you look for sealers, you must know the following things first when sealing your concrete driveways.
Sealers Have Different Types
Coming up to the store and asking for an unspecified sealer are just some of the things that you must not do in front of a store owner. You see, there are differences among the types of sealers so save yourself from scratching your head and do yourself a favour by knowing your sealers.
Sealers Vary in Gloss Levels
Concrete sealers have different levels of gloss or shininess. The gloss level is categorized on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest level. Gloss level of 80 to 100 gives you a gloss to the high-gloss surface, which is found on solvent-based sealers. Water-based sealers, on the other hand, give you a gloss level of 50 to 80 that can produce a matte or semi-gloss surface. A no-gloss surface with a gloss rating of 0 is evident with penetrating sealers.
Preparation, Application, and Maintenance
Once you have your sealers on hand, all you have to do is to prepare your concrete surface, apply the sealer, and maintain your concrete surface. Before applying the sealer, you must see to it that your concrete surface is clean and dry so that the sealer can stick on the surface tightly. Soap, degreaser, and patches can be used to clean the concrete.
One more important thing before you apply the sealer is to protect yourself from it. Wear gloves, long sleeves, trousers, and eye protection so that the sealer won’t have any harmful effect on you. For more in-depth instructions, read the label directions of the sealer.
Through a roller or a sprayer, apply the concrete sealer completely on the concrete surface. Apply two or three thin coats of sealer on the surface, but allow each coat to dry first before applying another coat.
Maintenance can be easy once the concrete surface is fully sealed. Simple cleaning is enough through soap and water. Areas that are worn can be fixed with just a light application of sealer. Depending on the status of your concrete surface, the resealing action must be planned and done every one to three years.
Now that you are somehow knowledgeable about concrete sealers, it is time for you to test out and buy some sealers for your concrete driveways. If you want to buy high-quality concrete sealers, then contact us at Auseal. We can help and guide you with everything regarding sealing your concrete surface.
You have a portion of your property that is poured with decorative concrete. After a few days, you decided to coat it with your choice of colour, making the concrete a pleasant look to see. Years passed by, and you noticed that the coating on a particular area of concrete starts to chip off. You then hurriedly coated it with another sealer to solve the tearing problem.
The above example is one of the few mistakes that people tend to do when applying the concept of sealing and resealing decorative concrete. Without ample knowledge about sealing and resealing, people are often shocked and surprised to see that their beloved concrete continues to break off.
The process between sealing and resealing differs from one another. Both the sealing process involves different steps on how to coat and seal a decorative concrete effectively.
Sealing Decorative Concrete
Sealers may either be water-based or solvent-based. But whatever the type of your sealer is, there are three key steps that you must do when applying your sealers.
First, you must ensure that your concrete is cured and completely dry before applying any types of sealer. Concrete can absorb water and moisture that affects the overall properties of the concrete and sealer itself. Sealing a wet or uncured concrete can lead to moisture being trapped between the sealer and the concrete surface, which ultimately causes the blushing of the concrete.
Second, you must apply thin coats of sealer in ambient conditions. When you apply the first layer of sealer, your concrete must look like as if it’s still bare. After the first layer has dried out completely, coat the surface layer again with sealer. The sealer may be applied repetitively until you are satisfied with the look of your concrete. When curing the concrete surface, see to it that the surrounding temperature is cool enough for the sealer to dry. A certain amount of heat can cause bubble effects on the sealer cure.
One important note in sealing your concrete is that the sealer must also cover the slab ends or edges of the concrete. You don’t want to allow moisture from getting in the concrete that can affect your work in the long run.
Lastly, your fully sealed concrete must be hardened first before anyone can touch or step on it. Keep water off the newly coated surface, so check your weather as accurate as possible to give you time to prepare a workaround. If you want to improve traction, apply a non-skid additive after your concrete has hardened.
Resealing Decorative Concrete
After a couple of months or even years, your concrete slab may encounter chipping off due to repetitive use and strong force from the surface. The only thing that you should avoid doing when you encounter this phenomenon is to apply the sealer on top of your concrete. Even if you cleaned the surface, your sealer will not stick to the existing coating.
What you should do is to create a good adhesion for your concrete surface. Your new sealer must bond well with the existing surface to not just cover up the wear and tear of the concrete but to remove any trapped moisture. This adhesion can also help the existing sealer resurface again.
To do this, you must pick a portion of your concrete slab, usually the damaged areas, and then apply a new sealer on top of them. This time, however, you don’t have to wait for it to be cured. Instead, you must agitate the surface by using a chemical-resistant broom before applying the coat to another area. This agitation process will reactive the old sealer, and at the same time, mix the new sealer to the old ones. After agitation, you can reseal other portions of your concrete and repeat the mentioned process. And just like sealing a bare concrete surface, you can add a non-skid additive if you want to.
Sealing and resealing decorative concrete involves different steps and processes. If you want to know more about sealers, contact us now at Auseal. We offer a wide range of coatings for different application purposes.
Concrete slabs are commonly used as the base layer before adding tiles, carpet, sealer, and other flooring materials. However, many property owners are surprised when they found out that their newly installed flooring layer above an old layer of concrete has already been damaged or disfigured after a few months or even weeks.
The Effects of Moisture
The answer as to why this happens revolves around moisture. You see, concrete slabs may appear to be solid and dry, but the microscopic structure of these slabs are moist in nature. Even an old layer of concrete can still produce moisture despite its appearance of being hard and dry. Concrete can readily absorb and transfer ground moisture to the layers above them. This transfer of moisture then results in damages and warping to the flooring. Moisture can also contribute to the growth of mould and mildew.
The moisture problem starts when it slowly attempts to escape the surface of the concrete, which will affect anything that sits on top of concrete slabs. The moisture, in the form of water vapour, may have escaped if there are enough space, warmth, and ventilation on the concrete. However, floorings tightly cover the entire concrete surface for good, trapping the moisture underneath. With nowhere to go, the moisture will then find a way to escape.
Moisture Testing
Construction firms know this too well. They conduct regular moisture testing to the concrete slabs for them to know the best sealer and flooring material that they will use. Keep in mind that the moisture level of concretes differs from each property depending on the concrete mix created. As the moisture level varies from one concrete mix to another, sealers and flooring materials are now produced to sustain different moisture level.
Most of the time, accurate moisture testing is done with a calcium chloride kit or a relative humidity meter. Both methods can produce the precise level of moisture that is present on concrete, which help determine the best products for the flooring layer.
Homeowners may also want to know the moisture level of their concretes even without the special tools. Just cut a plastic sheet into several 24 by 24-inch squares, and place them securely to the concrete with duct tape or any waterproof tape. All sides must be taped so that any moisture won’t escape. Leave the plastics for two days and check them after. If there is any moisture in the plastics, either in the form of water droplets or fogginess, then your concrete slabs have a considerable amount of moisture inside. This may explain why your flooring is uneven and gets damaged easily.
The Importance of Moisture Testing
Concrete sealers are created to protect concrete slabs from damages, corrosion, and staining. If your garage is made from concrete, you may apply some sealer to it so that it won’t get damaged as you use your car every day. These sealers can even block holes of the concrete, which reduces the absorption of water and salt that causes damage to the surface.
Even if the concrete sealers can block holes, a series of accurate moisture tests must still be conducted to know the correct variation for your concrete slabs. The suitable concrete sealer can help you have a concrete that is:
To determine which products are useful in protecting your concrete, consult with our company Auseal. Our company provides the best products possible for the renovation of your floors, patios, walkways, driveways, and more.
Automotive shops and facilities are regularly visited by car owners who wanted to either fix or customize their cars. Since most of these shops have a base of concrete, a very porous material, it is inevitable that it can be prone to unnecessary damage from cars entering and leaving the facility. Moreover, daily exposure to foot traffic, as well as harsh weather conditions and UV rays can also affect the quality of the concrete drastically and may result to cracks and holes.
Applying concrete sealers to concretes can address the wear out issues of automotive shops. The following are the importance of using concrete sealers to the mentioned shops and their facilities.
Increases the Sturdiness of the Surface
Concrete can easily absorb moisture and water, given its porous nature. This then ultimately lead to numerous cracking and corrosion of the surface. Thanks to the strong protective coating feature of concrete sealers, your automotive shops and facilities can become non-porous. Your automotive shops can now even accommodate a lot of heavier vehicles than ever before.
Coats the Surface from Irremovable Stains
Aside from water, oil and grease can also be absorbed by your concrete floor when they are unsealed. The absorption of these elements can stain the concrete permanently, which then requires you to spend more money for the reapplication of concrete. But with concrete sealers, the stain can be prevented as they provide a protective layer to the concrete. Just watch out for highly acidic compounds that can still penetrate the sealer.
Lessens the Growth Chance of Moulds
Unsealed concrete that are full of moisture and water can attract moulds. Moreover, moulds can replicate fast enough that they can cover your entire shops and facilities with an unsightly shade of green. By sealing the pores of the surface with concrete sealer, it decreases the risk of growing moulds to your shops and makes your business more appealing to consumers.
Shields the Surface from Sun, Rain, and Snow
Even if your automotive shops and facilities are protected by roof, some parts of it may be reached by the sun’s rays that contain damaging ultraviolet rays. These rays can fade and lighten the concrete’s colour over time. The same can be said with rain and snow. A concrete without any kind of protection can be penetrated by rain and snow and can damage your shops. Concrete sealers can fill in all the pores and coat the concrete layer for all around protection from nature.
Preserves the Surface’s Colour and Appearance
Another importance of using concrete sealer for your automotive shops is that it will preserve the original colour and shade of your concrete. The sealer will bring out the best of the colour you applied for your concrete. Concrete sealer would then require lesser maintenance for the colour of your whole shop.
To receive expert guidance on protecting your driveway with a concrete sealer, consult with our company, Auseal. Our company is dedicated to the creation of innovative, quality concrete sealers for floors, patios, walkways, driveways, and more.
Since concrete is porous in its natural state, it is advisable to apply a sealant to it in order to preserve its ideal condition. Without this protection, your concrete will absorb stain-causing liquids, scratch easily and break down prematurely. You must be careful to choose the right type of sealant for where your concrete is, though, or you will not receive adequate protection for your concrete. While most sealants will work for indoor purposes, not all will be suitable for outdoor applications. For this reason, we are here to explain why the EC25 Colour Sealer from our company, Auseal, is an effective concrete sealant for both interior and exterior applications.
EC25 Has Good UV Stability
UV stability is a must when applying a sealant to a walkway, patio or other concrete element. The sealant will break down quickly due to exposure to the sun without this quality.
Effective Water Resistance
You receive a highly water-resistant protective surface when you use this sealant. It makes the concrete non-porous at least on the top side. This decreases its ability to absorb water and other liquids substantially.
Our EC25 Reduces Efflorescence
Due to the fact that moisture cannot rise all the way to the surface, EC25 also reduces the risk of efflorescence. This condition happens when moisture and salts come up to the top of the concrete and dry. An unsightly white powder is left behind. Sealing concrete is the best way to present this from happening.
EC25 Comes in Numerous Colours
It is easy to complement your home’s exterior or interior areas attractively with this sealant since it comes in 33 standard colours. Just choose the shade that best suits your need.
Low Tyre Marking Capabilities
On top of other concrete elements, EC25 is perfect for driveways and garage floors because it has a low risk of tyre marking. As you may already know, tyres can leave black marks on unsealed concrete when vehicles drive on it daily, but when you apply EC25 according to its directions you substantially lower the chance of these marks occurring.
Highly Durable
On top of the above reasons to use the EC25 Colour Sealer from our company, it is highly durable and will last a long time to provide you with an adequate return on your investment. It will not need reapplying as often as the lesser-quality sealants do on exterior and interior concrete surfaces.
For further facts about our EC25 Colour Sealer, browse through our site or contact us directly. Auseal has built a reputation over the years for developing and manufacturing quality, decorative surfaces and unique coatings for concrete floors, walkways and other features.
We have been in business in the Dandenong region of Melbourne for many years, specialising in developing and manufacturing a wide range of unique coatings and decorative surfaces for concrete floors. Learn More
25 – 29 Pelson Crt., Dandenong VIC 3175
Tel: (03) 8787 8388
