The following article is intended to help making the application of Floorseal Concrete Penetrating Sealer easy.
To view further information about Concrete Penetrating Sealer regarding container sizes & prices click on any of the product titles highlighted in blue. Further links at the foot of the page.
What kind of sealer is Floorseal Concrete Penetrating Sealer?
Concrete Penetrating Sealer is a sub-surface penetrating sealer. The fluoropolymers which ultimately seal the surface are held in suspension within the liquid carrying agent. The sealing solution penetrates the pores of the concrete to harden the concrete. Thus producing a surface which is more resistant to oil and water-based staining & inhibits organic growth. This type of sealer is sometimes (also) referred to as an impregnating sealer.
What are the characteristics of Concrete Penetrating Sealer?
The purposes of applying this sealer is to harden concrete thus resisting water & oil staining. This in turn provides the ability to inhibit organic growth (on exterior surfaces). It is possible to reapply a penetrating sealer as many times as the concrete allows. Ultimately the concrete will reject further applications of product, once the surface has absorbed as much as it can.
This type of penetrating sealer does not require ‘stripping’ in the future. When the surface requires sealing again the sealer can simply be reapplied.
This sealer is food safe, water-based, solvent & VOC free.
This concrete sealing solution is typically applied twice, these applications being approximately 40 minutes apart. Possibly only apply once on very dense or fully polished concrete. This type of sealer is non-film forming.
What does the term non-film forming mean?
A non-film forming sealer repels moisture from within. Penetrating sealers help to repel general water-based staining, rainwater, oils & inhibit organic growth. This product does not produce a visible coating/lacquer, so is described as non-film forming. There will be no change in appearance of the concrete once treated.
Perfect for sealing where the user does not wish to see any change in appearance. Therefore there is no ‘finish’ associated with the product, other than a natural unaltered appearance. The term we use to describe a penetrating sealer is that they are ‘in’ the surface not ‘on’ the surface.
What kind of situation would this product be most suitable for?
- Treatment of surfaces where no change in appearance is required.
- Sealing concrete which remains food safe after treatment.
- Producing a concrete which becomes resistant to the ingress of moisture & oil.
- Sealing exterior concretes which are required to inhibit organic growth.
- Sealing polished concretes where a surface sealer is not appropriate.
- Ensuring concrete remains moisture vapour permeable/breathable after sealing.
- Helping to resist frost damage to floors, walls or facades.
- Generally sealing surfaces to resist liquids & subject to some heat.
- Sealing interior or exterior porous concrete in 1-2 coats.
- Concrete you are not intending to paint over.
Preparing the concrete
It is worth carrying out a small test patch to assess if the colour of concrete will be affected. Normally this is not the case but you should test first. Wait until the product has fully dried/cured to assess the result. It is highly unlikely any form of penetrating sealer will affect the colour of the treated surface.
The surface should be totally dry, do not apply to damp concrete. Ensure the surface is clean before application. Try to avoid applying the product when temperatures are below 10C or above 20C. There is always some wiggle room in the temperatures ranges noted – if you are sealing exterior concrete on a warm day then do so first thing in the morning when the surface is still cool.
Switch off underfloor heating systems 24 hrs before sealing.
For any newly poured concretes allow a minimum of 28 days drying before sealing.
Applying the sealer
Spray, roller or brush the sealer onto the surface and allow it to soak in. Saturate the surface and leave it to soak in for 10-20 minutes (or possibly longer in cool conditions). The greater the amount of sealer that is absorbed by the concrete the more affectively it will be sealed. Try to encourage as much sealer into the surface as possible (by allowing it to saturate and work its way into the pores of the material). The first application is often already affective, 2nd applications are often a top up to fill any remaining pores. If the surface is very soft/porous apply the product twice approximately 40 mins apart.
Use microfibre cloths or a dry roller to remove any excess sealer. On certain surfaces you will see very little excess. Any excess sealer can be removed by wiping it away or running a dry fluffy roller over the area.
Why do you remove excess sealer?
Because it is exactly that- an excess i.e. waste product. This should be carried out before the excess becomes tacky. Typically you should remove any excess after approximately 10-30 minutes. Please adjust the time allowed for excess removal based on air and surface temperatures.
Removal of excess product ensures that no visible change is noted to the surface. This is a simple process which requires no real skill. On very soft surfaces you will see little or no excess sealer.
When should I apply a 2nd coat of impregnating sealer?
Apply twice to any surface which is very porous & also to ensure you cannot encourage any more sealer into the concrete.
After an initial application of product apply again approximately 40 minutes later. Apply the sealer sparingly as the first application will already be taking effect. The concrete is unlikely to except the same volume of sealer during a second application. Remove all excess sealer with microfibre cloths.
It is possible to apply 2nd (or any subsequent) coats on separate days if required.
What is the coverage rate of Concrete Penetrating Sealer?
It depends on the concrete but As a rough guide 1 litre of product will cover 5m2 on general concrete. If applying a 2nd coat of product this coverage rate can increase drastically to 10m2 per litre.
The rates noted above will be often be greater on very dense or polished surfaces.
As noted earlier in the article the more penetrating sealer you can encourage into the surface the better the product works.
Conclusion
Concrete Penetrating Sealer has numerous benefits, it is breathable, non-film forming, & will not alter the appearance of the surface once treated.
Typically applied in 1 or 2 coats, remove any excess with microfibre cloths. Apply via roller, brush or paint pad. The sealer should be applied liberally and allowed to be absorbed by the surface being treated. Dense surfaces may only require one coat/application.
This product can be applied to internal or external surfaces & can be applied to other porous stone/masonry/tiles.
Do not dilute, apply the product at full strength. Apply via fluffy roller, brush, low pressure sprayer or paint pad.
Please click on the product titles highlighted in blue to view container sizes or prices.
View our handy in depth Guide to using Concrete Penetrating Sealers
The information contained in this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal at info@floorseal.co.uk