Floors

Whether you’re a contractor working on a commercial project for a large business or a homeowner who simply wants to protect their outdoor surfaces, any reactive penetrating sealer, acrylic topical coating, or other premium product by V-SEAL will have you covered for all kinds of projects.

What Is A Penetrating Concrete Sealer? Unlike topical concrete sealers, penetrating concrete sealers fill the pores of concrete to create a denser, longer-lasting material. This type of concrete sealer forms a permanent chemical bond with the substrate, infusing with the material so that it will never wear away until the substrate itself wears away. In addition to extending the lifespan of your concrete surfaces, penetrating concrete sealers also increase stain resistance, shield from weathering and chemical damage, and strengthens surfaces over many years without any maintenance!

Benefits of Using a Penetrating Concrete Sealer

Here are 3 of the top reasons why you may want to use a penetrating concrete sealer:

1. Protection from water or chemical damage.

Concrete surfaces are often impacted by a wide range of damaging elements, especially outdoor areas that are exposed to rain, snow, freezing/thawing etc. Concrete is porous, which means that it can absorb water, moisture, or other chemicals (i.e. oil, grease, and cleaning agents) if it is not properly sealed. Over time, these agents can cause unwanted stains, cracking or spalling, and could eventually lead to complete deterioration of the substrate. A penetrating concrete sealer proactively reduces stains from chemicals, repels water, and strengthens the concrete from harsh weather in the future.

2. Increased durability.

A penetrating concrete sealer can help to increase the durability of concrete surfaces by making them more resistant to average wear and tear. Whether applied indoors or outdoors, this sealer can handle heavy foot traffic and reduces maintenance costs while extending the life of the concrete. Add on an acrylic topical coating to enhance the appearance of your concrete surfaces by evening out any spots of discoloration and providing an eye-catching matte or glossy finish.

3. Versatile applications.

In addition to smooth or broom-finished concrete surfaces, penetrating concrete sealers work well with many other materials such as stamped concrete, stucco, mortar, exposed aggregate, or stone & brick pavers. This means these sealers are great for a variety of projects and can be applied to exterior and interior surfaces.

Types of Penetrating Concrete Sealers

V-SEAL offers high-performing concrete sealers and coatings to protect even the most unique spaces. There are four main kinds of reactive penetrating concrete sealers that offer different advantages:

- Silane: Because of its high resistance to moisture, mold damage, or cracking from freezing climates, this kind of sealer is most often used for exterior industrial purposes, such as parking decks and public highways. It’s the most expensive sealer, but also the longest lasting (10-25 years) and deepest penetrating sealer.

- Silicate: This sealer bonds with lime in the concrete, reacting to form silicate, a mineral that reinforces the concrete and improves durability. Sodium, potassium, and lithium are just a few of the elements that can be used in silicate-based concrete sealers. Their life span is about 10-25 years and best for polished concrete.

- Siloxane: With its low pH levels and water-resistant abilities, siloxane sealers are perfect for extremely porous concrete surfaces since they have larger molecules that don’t penetrate as deeply. Although it is the least penetrating sealer, siloxane-based concrete sealers can last 3-5 years and are super effective when combined with other kinds of sealers.

- Siliconate: Of all the penetrating concrete sealers, V-SEAL favors siliconate-based sealers due to their excellent hydrophobic characteristics and low volatile organic compounds (VOC). Once applied, these sealants block moisture and other debris from ruining the substrate and last about 10-25 years.

For most projects, we recommend a siliconate penetrating concrete sealer, like V-SEAL 101. This chemically reactive, deep penetrating sealer is ideal for residential driveways, sidewalks, basements, garages, and bigger industrial structures. V-SEAL 102, also known as WINTER GUARD, is another fantastic siliconate penetrating sealer ideal for curing new broom finished concrete and sealing pre-existing broom finished concrete and porous block.

From warehouses & auto shop floors to commercial parking decks and university campuses, to private backyard patios, our top-grade V-SEAL products achieve greater resilience and permanency—plus they come with the V-SEAL advantage.

Are you ready to seal? Contact our team of experts at 877-738-7325 or submit a customer service inquiry.

V-SEAL is a national distributor with over 10,000 commercial and residential clients worldwide, offering over 1,000 different sealer products from more than 65 leading U.S. manufacturers.

When Advanced Turf Solutions decided to expand their showroom floor, they were looking for a durable yet affordable floor coating system that would provide a finished  appearance. They contacted V-SEAL® for our expertise with commercial D.I.Y. floor sealer applications. We knew the floor system applied would have to stand up to forklift traffic and resist damage from harsh chemicals in fertilizers and lawn care products, so we recommended our Industra-Coat Epoxy and Urethane Kits. Advanced Turf Solutions chose an opaque epoxy primer (Industra-Coat 3015) to cover up the old unfinished concrete. While the epoxy was still wet, they broadcasted paint chips provided by V-SEAL® to hide dirt and dust between cleaning. After waiting 8-24 hours for the epoxy to cure to the touch, our clear Industra-Coat 3322 Low VOC two-part urethane gloss topcoat was applied as the final step.

Urethane topcoats provide approximately 2X the abrasion resistance of epoxy coatings and also increase UV and heat resistance for a longer wear life before re-application is necessary. All coatings can make concrete more slippery when wet, so on applications that could become wet, we recommend using 1-2 pints of anti-slip additive per Gallon of urethane topcoat. Anti-Skid can be broadcast or mixed into the coating before rolling. Urethane topcoats like our Industra-Coat 3322 are typically dry to the touch in 4-8 hours, ready for light foot traffic in 12-24 hours, and fully cured in 3-5 days under normal conditions (70 degrees F, low relative humidity).

V-SEAL® offers over 1000 products for curing, sealing, and cleaning concrete and masonry projects. A subset of our best selling products are available on our website, but for a truly customized system it is best to talk to one of our experienced technical advisors:

V-SEAL® Concrete Sealers, 9042 Cotter St., Lewis Center, Ohio, 43035

614-754-4777

 info@vseal.com, www.vseal.com .

American educational institutions spend millions of dollars annually on valuable infrastructure such as sidewalks, parking lots, statues, fountains, and buildings.  Often years of research and planning are involved to construct these multi-million-dollar investments.  The most astute institutions also research the best ways to protect their infrastructure, which is why they contact V-SEAL® Concrete Sealers for knowledgeable technical support and superior concrete sealer products.

Cornell University Parking

When the engineers at Cornell University wanted to replace parking surfaces late in the season, their traditional method - water curing, waiting 28 days, and sealing with long-term penetrating sealer - was not going to work due to timing.  They chose V-SEAL® 102 Winter-Guard®, the world’s only true SEAL + CURE®.  V-SEAL® 102 Winter-Guard® is a powerful long-term sealer tested to resist more than 1000 freeze/thaw cycles (10 years in midwestern climates) that passes ASTM C309, allowing it to be applied as soon as new concrete can withstand the weight of a worker without marring.  The photos below illustrate nearly perfect surfaces one year later.

Elon University Grand Fountain Restoration

A major project at Elon University was the restoration of the high profile Grand Fountain, so they contacted V-SEAL®.  After consultation to understand their needs, V-SEAL® provided the Industra-Coat Epoxy and Urethane System, which consists of epoxy primer for superior adhesion and water repellence, and urethane topcoat for abrasion and UV resistance.  Industra-Coat Epoxy and Urethane Systems are widely utilized as an attractive long-lasting coating system for fountains, ponds, swimming pools, and commercial and industrial floors.

University of Houston Concrete Floors

The University of Houston wanted to upgrade the appearance of the densified concrete floors in their new $47 Million dormitory.  Originally, the floors appeared blotchy and dull.  The architect for the project contacted V-SEAL® to obtain a custom color, fast drying, commercial grade floor sealer system that could be applied by non-specialized applicators to conceal the discolored areas and provide the intended appearance of polished concrete with excellent abrasion resistance and chemical resistance.  V-SEAL® provided a high-performance copolymer in a custom blended colored primer coat and a clear topcoat.

Bowling Green High School Memorial Statue

When the City of Bowling Green, Ohio wanted to protect a new memorial statue placed at the entrance of the local high school, they contacted V-SEAL for a graffiti repellent, non-slip sealer system.  All surfaces were initially treated with V-SEAL® 101 Multi-Surface, a long-lasting penetrating sealer for concrete, brick, stone, stucco, and other masonry.  To fortify graffiti repellence, all surfaces were coated with NanoCoat and horizontal surfaces were coated with NanoCoat with anti-skid grit.

Other educational institutions that have relied upon V-SEAL® for important projects include Harvard, Penn, Duke, Maryland, Cal Poly, Stanford, UC Berkley, Oklahoma, Clemson, Auburn, Illinois, Otterbein, Jefferson, Western Kentucky, Texas Women’s, High Point, Ohio University, and the Ohio State University.

For informative technical support and superior products for institutional concrete investments contact:

V-SEAL® Concrete Sealers, 9042 Cotter St., Lewis Center, Ohio, 43035 614-754-4777, info@vseal.com, www.vseal.com .

All the Answers You’re Looking For In Our Do-It-Yourself Guide To Sealing And Coating Your Garage Floor

Continue reading →