Concrete is a material well suited for floors and it is gaining popularity everyday among property owners both residential and commercial.
To keep concrete floors functional as well as beautiful, there are certain performance requirements property owners want from a sealer.
The sealers used over concrete floors should be safe, chemical and stain resistance, abrasion resistance and UV resistance.
Here are brief descriptions of different sealing materials - and some of the qualifications property owners or specifiers should consider when dealing with products in each category.
a.
Acrylic Sealers: Acrylics are easy to apply and relatively inexpensive.
They bond well to concrete and offer some stain resistance.
They will not darken the color of the concrete.
they are not particularly durable or scratch-resistant, so they are often used as a base for other sealers, including wax or polyurethane.
b.
Epoxy Sealers: Epoxy sealers exhibit excellent adhesion to concrete and exhibit very good chemical resistance.
They are optically clear, high-gloss and build to a thick film, so their aesthetics appeal to those who like the look of a glass surface.
Since most of the epoxy sealers are two-part systems, only trained contractors can apply them.
Epoxies scratch easily, so they are often topped with a scratch-resistant polyurethane topcoat.
c.
Polyurethane Sealers: Polyurethanes are usually more scratch resistant and applied at a thineer film-build, so they look a bit more natural.
Like epoxy sealers, they must be measured and mixed precisely.
They are sensitive to surface preparation and alkalinity of the concrete.
Therefore, it is recommended that a acrylic or epoxy based sealer be used as a primer before applying polyurethane topcoats.
Polyurethanes show excellent abrasion, stain and UV resistant.
d.
Polyaspartic Sealers: Polyaspartic sealers are relatively new in the market.
They show excellent abrasion, stain and UV resistance.
The hallmark of polyaspartic sealers is quick turn around time.
Concrete floors sealed with polyaspartics exhibit excellent hot tire pick-up resistance.
This is a must where ever vehicular traffic is expected like garage floors, automobile showrooms and service areas.