Best concrete sealer?

[Sled Puller]

Old dirty snowmobile picked floor, plus a few newer sections, what sealer do you guys like?

 

[GHarman]

I dont know if this is the best? When I built my shop in 1980 there were no sealers available at the local hardware store except Thompsons Water Seal. So, I used a formula that I found in an old Machinists Manual circa 1970. That was; Linseed Oil and gasoline mixed, I dont reember the proportions. This sealed the concrete floor for many years of heavy use. The disadvantage is the fumes for about 2 weeks as the gasoline evaporates. Do it in hot weather, It allows the linseed oil to really soak into the concrete and shorten the evaporation time. I just poured it on and brushed it in. Do it with the doors and windows open. GregH

 

[Forrest Nearing]

and don't take any smoke breaks!

 

[Matt400]

and don't take any smoke breaks!

You read my mind but hey. . since were on the subject-



My Dad needs to seal concrete block to keep ground water from leaching in.

Its in a basement with dirt behind the wall that sometimes gets too saturated from winter, any ideas for that?

 

[BimmerAgent]

Siloxane

Sled Puller- I sealed the floor in my new shop a couple months ago and used an HC product from Sherwin-Williams: Siloxane (SX-7, I think). It's more of a penetrating sealer than a coating. After etching, you spray it on, then brush the remaining pools. It soaks in to the concrete, and is waterproof. It dries in about an hour, but takes about 3 days to become water repellent. It took a 5 gallon pail for about 1400 square feet. So far, with drywall mud, paint, and snow melt, it seems to be holding up well. It leaves no sheen or odor, and doesn't change the look of concrete. You can color (tint) it if you want. I am happy with it so far. Bruce

 

[LMcCary]

Tung oil cut with kerosene. Apply and let dry, then recoat several times depending on type of gloss finish you want. Some start with 50/50 mix first, 75/25 (tung/ker) next and so on. This can be buffed and then the only maint. is soap and water mop.

 

[SMorneau]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Do you want to stop "dusting"?

Do you want to seal against moisture coming from below the slab?

Do you want to fill imperfections and cracks to have a nice floor?

What do you anticipate spilling on the floor? (compatibility)

Are you going to do lots of welding on the floor?

Are you going to scar it up with carbide picks again?

How much $$$ do you have to spend?



If you go with a penetrating sealant but might opt to go for a coating later you should investigate compatibilties of the sealer and coating that you would want to use.



We have some awesome coatings on the floors at work. They are also incredibly expensive. The use a mechanical abrader to prep the floor, fill the cracks, and then put on a two part epoxy. Again, nice but really expensive.

 

[Sled Puller]

Do you want to stop "dusting"? YES



Do you want to seal against moisture coming from below the slab? NOT REALLY

Do you want to fill imperfections and cracks to have a nice floor? YES



What do you anticipate spilling on the floor? (compatibility) OIL, ANTI FREEZE, ETC



Are you going to do lots of welding on the floor? SOME



Are you going to scar it up with carbide picks again? NOOOOOO!



How much $$$ do you have to spend? I DONT KNOW YET, SOME





I.

Thanks for the responses, looks like I have a lot of research to do.

 

[sdstriper]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Do you want to stop "dusting"?

Do you want to seal against moisture coming from below the slab?

Do you want to fill imperfections and cracks to have a nice floor?

What do you anticipate spilling on the floor? (compatibility)

Are you going to do lots of welding on the floor?

Are you going to scar it up with carbide picks again?

How much $$$ do you have to spend?



If you go with a penetrating sealant but might opt to go for a coating later you should investigate compatibilties of the sealer and coating that you would want to use.



We have some awesome coatings on the floors at work. They are also incredibly expensive. The use a mechanical abrader to prep the floor, fill the cracks, and then put on a two part epoxy. Again, nice but really expensive.

This is a great response for this question, my hat's off to you SMorneau! I have some experience applying various coatings and I could not have said it better.



I will add a few things. A penetrating product you will not see, a top coating product you will, there are very good products of both types available. I would not recommend the oils/gas/kero homebrews. If you opt for a coating, you want one with high solids content, 100% solids is good stuff. You get what you pay for applies bigtime with these products. When installing a coating (epoxy etc) mechanical abrasion is better surface prep than acid etch, that is my opinion based on repair of floor coating failures.



In your home shop you may want to apply coating. You get more "bling" with a coating than a sealer, lightens or brightens the area with the right color, dust control and easy spill/leak cleanup.



A penetrating concrete sealer is a really good product to use on outdoor concrete placements, driveway, sidewalks, patio etc. Penetrants do exactly that, penetrate subsurface, chemically combine with the slab chemistry and often make the slab harder and stronger. If you live in a climate with a freeze/thaw cycle it is money well spent to seal your weather exposed concrete. After all the water soaks into the slab, then freezes, expanding as it freezes and cracks the slab or worse yet spalling or popping the top layer off.

 

[ctd8999]

I think I'd go with a Comp 461 and dilute about 50%. LOL MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

[lmills]

I think I'd go with a Comp 461 and dilute about 50%. LOL MERRY CHRISTMAS

Good one Steve. :-laf





I recently coated the floor in my garage with the epoxy coating system. It turned out pretty nice and is also very easy to clean up. I am sure you could patch the marks in the concrete before coating it also.

 

[SMorneau]

I would only use comp461 for mopping the floor. As a coating it would get old quickly. Besides wasn't Comp461 bought out by Banks? :-laf