Before we get into the main article we need to look at what the term concrete floor sealant really means.
Many people are under the mistaken belief that a sealant will protect from water infiltration into a garage, basement, or other room with a floor surface that is below grade.
This is not the case at all.
A sealant is meant to protect the slab from harm caused by environmental factors which enter through the top surface.
They basically seal out any liquid from entering the concrete from the top, they do not stop water entering the space from below.
If you are looking for a concrete sealant for inside your home in the basement or some other room which has a slab floor then you are going to want either an acrylic based product or an epoxy based one.
Either works well for low traffic floors but the acrylic has several positive factors going for it.
First, it is easy to tint and thus you can have almost any color floor that you may want.
Also, an acrylic will not breakdown with UV rays from the Sun.
This is an issue if you have exterior windows.
The last benefit is that this type of concrete floor covering is very easy to apply.
That being said, the epoxy does have several things going for it also, the greatest being its longevity.
As long as it is protected from the Sun, an epoxy coating will last quite a bit longer on the floor that the acrylic will.
This is attested to by the fact that auto shops, truck shop, factories, and cafeterias generally choose this product.
The one safety draw back to both of these is how slippery they get when wet.
This can be alleviated with the addition of an anti-skid topping applied before the coating sets up completely.
The two most popular choices for this are industrial sand and paint chips.
Don't use sea sand as it has a high salt content.
The paint chips are a nice way to add some color to epoxies and they can really help the acrylic to look great if the chips are of a complimentary color to the original coating hue.
As with all floor coatings, the prep work is very important.
Be sure the floor is absolutely clean and free from all debris.
Also, there can be no moisture present or the material will not adhere to the concrete surface.
After washing with soap and water it is a good idea to run a space heater in the room overnight to really allow the slab to dry.
You will be happy you did.
Many people are under the mistaken belief that a sealant will protect from water infiltration into a garage, basement, or other room with a floor surface that is below grade.
This is not the case at all.
A sealant is meant to protect the slab from harm caused by environmental factors which enter through the top surface.
They basically seal out any liquid from entering the concrete from the top, they do not stop water entering the space from below.
If you are looking for a concrete sealant for inside your home in the basement or some other room which has a slab floor then you are going to want either an acrylic based product or an epoxy based one.
Either works well for low traffic floors but the acrylic has several positive factors going for it.
First, it is easy to tint and thus you can have almost any color floor that you may want.
Also, an acrylic will not breakdown with UV rays from the Sun.
This is an issue if you have exterior windows.
The last benefit is that this type of concrete floor covering is very easy to apply.
That being said, the epoxy does have several things going for it also, the greatest being its longevity.
As long as it is protected from the Sun, an epoxy coating will last quite a bit longer on the floor that the acrylic will.
This is attested to by the fact that auto shops, truck shop, factories, and cafeterias generally choose this product.
The one safety draw back to both of these is how slippery they get when wet.
This can be alleviated with the addition of an anti-skid topping applied before the coating sets up completely.
The two most popular choices for this are industrial sand and paint chips.
Don't use sea sand as it has a high salt content.
The paint chips are a nice way to add some color to epoxies and they can really help the acrylic to look great if the chips are of a complimentary color to the original coating hue.
As with all floor coatings, the prep work is very important.
Be sure the floor is absolutely clean and free from all debris.
Also, there can be no moisture present or the material will not adhere to the concrete surface.
After washing with soap and water it is a good idea to run a space heater in the room overnight to really allow the slab to dry.
You will be happy you did.
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