Adding a tile over a Concrete floor is a fantastic idea to help with the installation in your home or office space. Sealing your Concrete floor before tiling also can help prevent condensation and protect your flooring from mould and mildew building up. If you are planning on taking on this project on your own, you will need the following tools to seal your Concrete floor;
Tools:
Degreaser
Broom
Mop and floor cleaner
Paint roller or Sprayer
Water based Sealer appropriate for priming the surface (Uniseal Water based is a great candidate)
Prior to starting, you will want to make sure the Concrete floor has been cleaned, you will want to fix any cracks or chips in the concrete surface and give it a proper amount of time to dry. A recommended product to use for fixing Concrete cracks and chips is an Epoxy. You will inject the Epoxy into the crack or spalled areas, then smooth it with a putty knife. Be sure to discuss this with your Concrete specialist to ensure the proper product is used. Unicon Concrete carries a product called 10 Minute Mender which works tremendously.
Once all the cracks and chips have been filled, you will then want to clean the surface of Concrete you are going to seal. The Sealer will set and adhere much better if it is clean. You will want to give the surface lots of time to dry, if you apply the Sealer without allowing proper drying time can cause the Sealer to appear cloudy. This is due to moisture being trapped underneath the sealer.
You will then apply a thin layer of Sealer on the Concrete in one direction, let it dry for about 2- 3 hours, then repeat in the other direction and leave it for plenty of drying time. It doesn’t matter if you roll or spray the sealer on, whichever works best for you. Keep in mind that its best if it’s sealed the day prior to laying down your tile.
All the products listed below can be found at Unicon Concrete Specialties.
Product Links:
https://unicon.ca/unicon-concrete-sealers/
https://unicon.ca/10-minute-concrete-mender/