Sealing Concrete is a big project undertaking. However, it is possible! Whether it be sealing new concrete or re sealing old concrete. In this blog, we will cover all the tips, tricks, and tools that you will need for sealing Concrete, including how to apply concrete sealer to exposed aggregate, How to seal new concrete, how to re seal concrete and how to seal your concrete driveway.
The most common sealer to apply are topical acrylic coatings such as brands at Unicon like Uniseal, Unisheen and Gemseal. This can be done using a roller or sprayer. If you decide to spray it, you will want to use a solvent resistant spray can. If you choose to roll the sealer on, please make sure you use a metal paint tray and roller sleeves that have a cardboard insert in them. The solvent in the sealer tends to eat away at the plastic and causes the seals in the sprayer to swell and the rollers to soften up.
While it is a large project, it can be broken it can be split into a few steps.
How to Seal New Concrete:
Step one: Prepare the surface to be sealed.
Sweep all dirt and debris off of the surface
If you have any grease, oil, or paint stains, you will want to do your best to scrub them out as well as you can. Uniclean is an excellent stain remover that can be used to get the deep oil or gas stains out. Just be sure to use it a few days prior to washing the concrete. This step should only be required for older concrete that you are re sealing because new concrete shouldn’t have anything but some dirt and a bit of debris on it.
After removing stains, you will want to mop or vacuum anything left behind. We recommend using a citric cleaner to prepare the concrete and allow it to adhere better to the surface. This can be done with a product like E-etch. Once you have scrubbed the surface, it will need to be neutralized with Neutra Clean.
Step Three: Apply the Sealant
Once your concrete has been cleaned and has had ample time to dry, you are ready to apply the first coat of sealer. Two thin coats are recommended with a 2-3 hour window between each coat to ensure a smooth and even finish. If you are spraying the sealer, make sure its not windy the sealer can get away from you. When rolling the sealer on, don’t over roll or “scrub” it into the surface, apply in a forwards and backwards motion and then move onto the next area. Be sure to not apply this on a hot day or in the direct sunlight. A good rule of thumb is, if the concrete feels warm when you touch it, then wait until it cools a bit. The surface temperature should be between 10-20 degrees Celsius.
Apply a second coat
Allow for drying, once again about 2-3 hours. It is important to give whatever area you are sealing to have ample drying time. When rolling on the second coat, roll in the opposite direction to ensure full coverage. For spraying, follow the same directions listed in the first coat. You shouldn’t walk on the concrete for 5-6 hours after your second coat, vehicle traffic is 24 hours.
How to Re-Seal Concrete:
You can follow the steps above. A lot of people think they need to remove the old sealer prior to applying new sealer. That is not the case. Unless there is an issue with the sealer on there, or you want to switch to a different type of sealer, a good clean with a citrus cleaner will do the trick.
Now that you know all the steps to sealing Concrete, you can start! We have all the products you need for a Concrete Sealing project available at Unicon!
Product Links:
https://unicon.ca/gem-seal-premium-sealer/
- Link to Unicon Sealers https://unicon.ca/unicon-concrete-sealers/
- Link to E-etch https://unicon.ca/e-etch/
- Link to neutra clean https://unicon.ca/neutra-clean/
- Link to uniclean https://unicon.ca/uniclean-oil-and-stain-remover/
- Link to 19230 sprayer https://unicon.ca/swissmex-solvent-based-sprayer/
- Link to 9sc038 roller
- Link to MET100 paint tray