Generally speaking when picking a sealer for your driveway, the aesthetics and performance as well as the price of what you are willing to pay for that performance are the main factors you must consider when choosing the right concrete sealer. Keep in mind that choosing the right sealer is just that important for the life expectancy of your driveway and to keep it looking fantastic for years to come. Here is an overview of information you should know about concrete sealers for driveways:
Why you should use a sealer
Generally speaking concrete doesn’t have to be sealed to perform, but the benefits of applying a quality concrete sealer to your driveway really are worth those extra dollars in the long run.
– Sealing a driveway improves the overall appearance as well as extend the life span
– It is quite quick and not at all difficult to do in most cases, standard residential driveways should take less than a day.
Types of Concrete Sealers for Driveways
The most commonly used concrete sealers are acrylic-resin based. Acrylic sealers provide the best overall performance for the cost, and are more often than not blended with epoxies, polyurethanes or silicones which improves the performance durability and water resistance even further. This type of concrete sealer are also available in different forms, for example Styrene acrylic and virgin or pure acrylic. The latter being the best out of the two, styrene acrylic is lower-performance that may yellow and degrade over time due being exposed to sunlight.
Image Source: On – Crete
Factors to consider when choosing a concrete sealer
To make things easier, we have broken down the three main factors to consider, that being Safety, Appearance and Performance. (SAP)
Safety
For the ultimate in safety, consider using a penetrating waterproofing sealer rather than a film-forming product. A penetrating sealer produces no gloss and will not contribute to the slipperiness of the concrete surface. Always test the sealer in a small, inconspicuous area on your driveway, in both dry and wet conditions, to ensure that it meets your safety needs.
Appearance
What do you want your driveway to look like after it’s sealed, in terms of gloss level and color enhancement? Like paints, driveway sealers come in many gloss levels, including no-gloss, matte, satin, semi-gloss, gloss and high-gloss.
Performance
Not all driveway sealers are alike (even those in the same product category), and no driveway sealer will last forever. Depending on the type of sealer used and exposure conditions, a sealer may last anywhere from 1 to 3 years. The type and quality of the resin makes a big difference in how long the sealer will last and how well it will perform during its life cycle.
Do you want your concrete driveway sealed? Get in touch with us! We would love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have!
Information Source: Concrete Network