Colored Concrete Sealers

Colored concrete is one of the most popular ways to accent the driveways, patios, walkways and balconies all over the country. Colored concrete can take on the visual effects of brick, flagstone, tile, shale or any number of other more expensive pavers at a much cheaper cost. But are you doing what you can to protect your colored concrete by using a quality colored concrete sealer?

The elements can wreak havoc on colored concrete, and concrete sealers help to protect it from moisture, grease, stains, and abrasives. Most colored concrete sealers will protect your concrete from freezing temperatures that might begin to crack it in places, de-icing salts that can abrade the texture, petroleum that can stain your concrete and other substances that can make your concrete less-then-attractive.

Colored concrete sealers are special because they can be purchased in the same color and texture of your colored concrete. It was actually give a more uniform, full look to the color in your concrete and will keep the actual substance from eroding over time. Colored concrete sealers can be applied when the concrete is new or even later on, and there are different sealers for indoor and outdoor concrete.

Most colored concrete sealers are water-based, and will repel both water- and oil-based substances that might contaminate your concrete. They can even be used on concrete where regular maintenance is required or where a low-gloss finish has already been applied. It is especially helpful on multi-colored concrete because you can customize the sealer to match whatever colors and textures are already present.

When applying a colored concrete sealer, make sure that the entire area is free of dust, dirt, grease and oil; for colored concrete that has been installed for a while, a pressure wash might be necessary. You don't want to trap imperfections under the sealer.

Apply as directed on the cans of colored concrete sealer, and most will begin to skin within thirty-to-forty-five minutes. It will begin hardening in four-to-six hours, and will have hardened completely within 24 hours. Some sealers take longer to harden than others, so make sure to test it before resuming foot or vehicle traffic over the concrete.

You can visit the Concrete Network for more information about colored concrete sealers, or visit your local hardware store and ask about the products that they recommend. You can find both film formers, which coat the top of the concrete with a thin layer of protection, and penetrants, which actually penetrate the surface of the concrete for added protection.