Bob Harris protects his floor by applying an aliphatic polyurethane sealer. A co-worker kneels and watches. Photo courtesy of Decorative Concrete Institute

Choosing the Right Floor Sealer

Penetrating or film-forming, water-based or solvent-based, your sealer is just as important as any other element of your project. Here’s a guide for sorting through your options — plus tips on some clever effects you can create with them.
By Amy Johnson

Comparing a concrete sealer to the frosting on a cake may sound a bit frivolous, but they actually do have some things in common. Frosting makes the cake look better and keeps it fresh longer. Sealers make decorative concrete look better and keep it looking good and performing well longer. No baker would serve a birthday cake without frosting, and no experienced concrete contractor would install a decorative floor without a sealer.

So if appearance and protection are the basic expectations for a sealer, what factors should be considered in choosing the right product for a given application? Clifford Platt, vice president of Vexcon Chemicals Inc., names three basic ones. First, environment. He recommends asking: “What environment will the sealer be asked to perform in? Indoors or outdoors? Wet or dry? What part of the country?” Second, traffic. “Vehicle traffic is going to cause the coating to wear sooner than foot traffic,” he says. “And will there be chemical exposure such as gas or oil?” Third, maintenance. “Are they going to be able to recoat every few years to keep the sealer looking good and protect the decorative concrete?”

Bob Harris, president of the Decorative Concrete Institute, names several considerations specific to contractors and application requirements. “Cost, dry times, availability and whether the product is solvent- or water-based are important factors,” he says.