An unsealed concrete floor is going to be more reactive and sensitive to changes in temperature. It will freeze in cold climates and expand in warm ones. This can cause crumbling, chipping, and cracking.
Leaving concrete unsealed will leave it with a flat look. The color will remain flatter and dull, in addition to the concrete remaining porous and easier to damage. Sealing the concrete will enhance the colors and give it more of a marble or mottled look, smoother and with richer colors.
If the concrete floor surface is left unsealed, its porous layers will emit tiny objects that endanger one's health. Not only will it put one's health in peril, but it's also the floor itself that will face various damages.
Sealing your concrete floors prevents damage – no matter how regularly your floors are used. So, if you want to ensure your concrete floors look and stay great for longer, sealing them is definitely a wise choice.
If you are pouring concrete floors in any type of warehouse or heavy commercial setting, leaving them bare is asking for trouble. Vehicle traffic, chemicals, temperature changes, and other common industrial impacts can quickly damage bare concrete floors. If appearances are a concern, bare concrete is the wrong choice.
When you leave your concrete warehouse floors unsealed, the concrete will produce flecks of concrete dust that can coat machinery, create a dirty work environment, wreck havoc on manufacturing, and even cause health issues. It's simply unavoidable and a very real issue unless you seal the floors.
Covering your concrete basement floor with a different material can be detrimental to its longevity and condition. This is because the concrete needs exposure to air in order for it to breathe properly.
Concrete can be described as a hard sponge that soaks up oil and water-based spills. Easily marked by tires and outdoor elements, it is important to seal the surface, so it looks beautiful year-round. The other benefit to sealing concrete is improved cleaning and maintenance.
It's Never Too Late …
Sealing your garage floor might not be possible if you have moisture in your garage. This is typically the only scenario where we don't recommend sealing right away, mainly because you should deal with the cause of the moisture first. It could be due to a plumbing leak or a drainage issue.
A: Yes! Old concrete can be sealed for the first time or resealed if it has been previously sealed with a concrete sealer. Before sealing old concrete you want to make sure you determine if the concrete has been previously sealed.
A pH-neutral cleaner is always a good option for a final cleanse or to routinely mop with. No matter what is used to clean, it's crucial to allow the unsealed concrete to fully dry.
The hardening, or curing, continues as long as moisture remains in the concrete. If too much water is lost from the concrete through evaporation, the hardening process slows down or ceases.
After discussing the factors you need to look for and the regional location of the project, in broad terms, Spring is in fact the best time of year to seal concrete. With its moderate temperatures and humidity levels, it tends to provide ideal conditions for the application and curing of sealers.
While you can expect that sort of life from your concrete, you'll likely end up replacing it sooner if you don't protect it. Without sealant, it'll suffer from discoloration, cracking or even crumbling. But when you opt to seal your concrete, you increase the chance that your concrete will last for those 25-30 years.
A concrete sealer or exposed aggregate sealer is essential for protecting surfaces from the elements, stains from dirt, oil and other contaminants, and much more. So, if you've just installed new concrete, whatever kind, make sure it gets sealed before it gets unsightly marks or stains that are permanent.
Concrete sealer is a protective barrier that gives longevity to concrete and makes cleaning easy. If your concrete is new, you'll need to let it cure; wait at least one month before applying sealer.
Acrylic Concrete Sealers: Acrylic sealers last 1-3 years before they need to be re-coated. Epoxy Coatings: Epoxy coatings last 5-10 years before they need to be re-coated. Urethane Coatings: Urethane coatings last 5-10 years before they need to be re-coated.
A strong enough power washer will blast most types of sealer off of concrete with ease. The trick is to make sure to pressure wash the entire surface area. For more sturdy sealers, it may take a few passes with the pressure washer to get it completely removed.
For large scale projects like buildings, concrete should last up to 100 years if it's properly cared for. Concrete projects that experience more wear-and-tear like sidewalks and driveways have an expected lifespan of about half that—50 years.
While mold only feeds on organic materials, it can grow on any surface, especially concrete. While concrete may not supply an abundance of organic material, it provides just enough mold to spread to other areas of a building.
Anytime that there is a higher water to cement ratio, it will decrease the strength and durability of the concrete. Water can breakdown the materials that concrete is made of. Create mold and bacteria in the concrete, and cause concrete foundations to move and shift. All of these result in cracks in the concrete.