Sealing your concrete is important.
A good sealer will protect your surfaces from dirt, grease, oils and other contaminants for up to ten years. But how do you choose the best sealer to protect AND enhance your surfaces so they look great and last for years?
The sad truth is, many people turn their sealing dreams into nightmares.
It only takes days for the wrong sealer to turn yellow, peel, flake or bubble.
Some concrete sealers can not be exposed to sunlight, while others crack under heat, while others are better for the environment and your health.
In other words, not all concrete sealers are created equally.
That’s why it’s imperative that you choose the best concrete sealer for your specific project’s requirements. Here at Right Choice Coatings and Sealers we have 25 years experience in helping people choose the best sealer, the first time. Even those who have never worked with concrete in their life.
And that’s what we’re going to help you do in this blog.
Below, we’ve split concrete sealers into two distinct categories.
- The best exterior concrete sealers
- The best interior concrete sealers
We’re going to eliminate any of your confusion when it comes to choosing the best concrete sealer for your job, and save you time, money and stress.
You’ll be delighted when you have beautifully sealed concrete that lasts.
So let’s talk through the best concrete sealers for your exterior or interior projects, what they can do for you, and how to choose the best one for you.
The Best Exterior Concrete Sealers
If you’re looking to protect and enhance your:
- Driveway
- Patio
- Pathways
- Stone pavers
- Swimming pool surrounds; or
- Any outside area exposed to sunlight
Then the first thing you need to look for in your concrete sealer is that it is stable in UV light. If you use a sealer which isn’t UV stable, your concrete will quickly lose its protection and its surface starts to turn an ugly yellow.
Do not seal your exterior concrete with an epoxy sealer.
While those sealers are wonderful for your interior projects (more to come on that in a minute) they will ruin your outside concrete projects.
Instead, you’ll likely want to find a solvent-based acrylic sealer.
Most solvent-based acrylic sealers should be safe to use in sunlight – just double check the specific product before you buy. They also offer your concrete fierce protection from elements like traffic, dirt, hot tyre marking, and scuffing while dramatically improving its clean-ability and maintenance.
Plus, you can get them in a variety of finishes and colours.
For example, our best-selling clear concrete sealer delivers you a semi-gloss “wet look” finish. It doesn’t change your concrete colour, but instead it darkens and enhances it and breathes life back into old concrete.
If instead you DO want to change the colour of your concrete while you protect it from the outside elements, then try out our popular coloured concrete sealer. This sealer gives you all of the same robust protection as its clear counterpart, and offers you 12 different colours to choose from.
Both of these sealers are quick and easy to apply with a roller or broom.
And both will also work well with a non-slip additive.
That’s something we recommend you apply if you’re sealing concrete in wet areas where slip resistance is required – like driveways and poolside.
The bottom line when it comes to the best sealer for your exterior projects?
Choose one that’s UV stable and offers you the finish you want.
The Best Interior Concrete Sealers
If you’re looking to protect and enhance your:
- Garage floors
- Bathrooms or washrooms
- Commercial properties
- Warehouses
- Food processing plants
Then the two best types of sealers are epoxy and polyurethane.
Both are hardwearing. Both transform your concrete appearance. And both dramatically improve the clean-ability and maintenance of your surfaces.
However, there are differences to note.
Epoxy sealers deliver you a ‘harder’ surface than polyurethanes. They have greater compression strength which means they’re better for heavy duty industries. But remember, they are not UV stable. You must be confident your epoxy sealer is not going to be exposed to sunlight.
Epoxy sealers are ideal for:
- Garage floors
- Warehouse floors
- Food processing plants
- Residential floors
- Wet areas (washrooms, toilets etc)
Most epoxy sealers give your concrete surfaces a gloss-like finish.
You can check out our clear epoxy sealer here. Or if you’d like to completely transform the colour of your surface while protecting it from chemicals and spills, you can try our coloured epoxy sealer here.
It comes in six different colours and is perfect as a base coat for a decorative flake floor finish too – popular with our customers garage floors!
Polyurethane sealers are great for your interior surfaces too.
They’re more flexible than epoxy sealers, and therefore are more scratch-resistant. That makes them a fantastic choice for spaces like multi-story car parks or other areas with high levels of foot traffic.
Plus, they’re UV stable – so you don’t need to worry about sunlight.
Polyurethane sealers are ideal for:
- Car parks
- Warehouses
- Bathrooms
- Garages
- High traffic areas
- Food processing plants
Like epoxy sealers, you can buy polyurethane sealers in either a clear finish or you can choose from a range of twelve different colours.
They provide your surfaces with more of a high-gloss, “wet look finish”.
Both sealers are quick and easy to apply with a roller.
Ultimately, when it comes to protecting and enhancing your interior concrete surfaces, both sealers deliver a durable, long-lasting solution.
Which you choose, depends on your specific project needs and wants.
Not Forgetting: The Best Concrete Sealers For Your Health and The Environment
We recently published a blog post about this.
Some sealers contain solvents which release gases called Volatile Organic Compounds – otherwise known as VOCs – which harm the environment.
If you don’t wear the right protection, they can harm your health too.
That’s why we offer water-based concrete sealers too.
Water-based sealers give your interior and exterior concrete projects the same level of protection as any solvent-based sealer will; resisting hot tyres, rain, UV, oil, salt, grease and many other household chemicals.
But in comparison, water based sealers have no, or considerably less, solvents. That means they’re healthier for the environment and your lungs.
Click here to read more about our eco-friendly water based clear concrete sealer. This sealer is non-toxic, UV stable and gives your concrete surface outstanding strength, stain resistance and long term durability.
You can use it on your external or interior surfaces, and it will not darken your concrete. It delivers a natural look with a matte to semi gloss finish.
We also stock an epoxy water based sealer.
This sealer is NOT UV stable – and so you should only use it indoors.
It creates a hard-wearing satin-like finish and is an excellent choice for surfaces exposed to aggressive environments like factory floors, tank linkings, wet areas and food processing plants.
It’s also available in four different colours for you to choose from.
If you want to protect your concrete, environment and health?
Then choosing a water based sealer might just be the right choice for you.
Still Unsure About Which Concrete Sealer To Choose?
No problem – try our solutions finder!
With over 25 years’ experience in concrete sealers, our team can recommend which sealer you should use for your specific project, without you having to pay for a professional contractor.
Making the right concrete sealer choice has never been easier!
