Concrete Driveway Sealing

[OneAkela]

This isn't exactly a garage matter, but I don't see any other forum to post this in.

My new house will have a brushed concrete driveway. In order to prevent/delay spalling and other wear on it, what would be the type of product to put on it?

I've read about acrylic, siloxane, silicate but what in your experience is the longer lasting one?

May I assume that once you put down a particular type of sealer, you have to stick with it when you have to redo it in a few years?

 

[RedAggie03]

I'm wondering the same thing. Our new driveway is so white and bright it hurts to go outside during the day. I want something to put on it to tone it down some and seal it up I guess.

 

[dcs Inc]

Exterior concrete should be sealed. It will last so much longer to road salts even if you dont salt your concrete in the winter, you a dragging road salt from the highway. Elite Crete offers the BEST acrylic based sealer available. It is concentrated so your not paying for the cheap solvents that others are selling. Our 53% acrylic sealer is laced with MMA (methyl-Methacrylate) basically that's a liquid plastic. One 5 gallon pail makes 10-15 gallons. Sells for around $165.00 a pail. A smooth surface goes down around 300 sq. ft. a gallon. Broom texture, figure around 150-200 sq. ft. a gallon. Now these are real life figures, not salesman bull. We have voc compliant solvents also to cut the CSS in areas that require that. Shoot me an email if interested. No, it's not a urethane (non-breathable), no it's not an epoxy or a polyaspartic) this stuff is way too expensive and doesn't belong outside.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Any topical sealer is going to be a lifelong battle of fading and re-coats.
Keep it simple, apply a densifier.

It protects with no change to the surface and will meet many budget constraints.

 

[dcs Inc]

Your kidding aren't you. Fading....what kind of **** are you used to using? Hows that densifier going to hold up to moisture stains, chemicals, grease, gas, oil, soil stains? A hydrophobic sealer isn't the "new" best thing. Some poeple like a nice glossed surface to show off their concrete and to know they are protected. Oil WILL stain it. One credit is that it does densifier the surface, for awhile. If the concrete is installed correctly and has a protective coating on the surface, you don't need it. 14-18 cents a square foot. I'm sure the stuff your pushing is much cheaper. Is this a one time application and lasts the life of the concrete???? Topical acrylic sealers do require reseals as they wear, some a lot less than others. That product is good for commercial garages and you know how good looking those are.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Gene:
Just offering an alternative. Some folks don't want to have to chase a sealer outside.
Densifiers work well at retarding wear and tear inside and out.

I never claimed they repel oil and what I "push" is a quality product. Just because it's less expensive does not make it CHEAPER.

 

[pauls340]

It would sure help if Garage Journal required everyone to put their "location" in their avatar. It would help on the type of suggestions you get from some of the people who know and work with certain products. If you want a post placement sealer for your concrete that penetrates and never wears off (because it penetrated), waterproofs and vaporproofs concrete and stops all moisture related problems with concrete, look into a product called Vapor Lock by Specialty Products Group OR, you can put on a topical, what I call a maintenance coat...my 4c

 

[J_T_P]

No, it's not a urethane (non-breathable), no it's not an epoxy or a polyaspartic) this stuff is way too expensive and doesn't belong outside.

while I wouldn't use a polyaspartic as a sealer for a driveway for a variety of reasons, in your opinion why don't polyasapartics "belong outside?"

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

I will fill in for Gene...
# 1. Do you have a vapor barrier under your drive?
I ask this because polyaspartic will not allow moisture to pass through it, so you will have a nice clear coating with moisture trapped beneath, ghosting is the term.
# 2. When this product eventually gives in to mother nature, and it will eventually, you will need dynamite to get it off your drive.

If you want a nice gloss sheen, you need an acrylic sealer that will gradually fade away, not leaving behind a troublesome residue. Once it fades away, you can re-apply making it new again.

 

[mmanship]

Does your product come with a choice of stain colors. In other words, can it be ordered with color?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We do not have colored sealers.
Typically, color is applied via acid stain, litho stain or acetone dye, clear sealer applied after. We have all three of these.

 

[dcs Inc]

I will fill in for Gene...
# 1. Do you have a vapor barrier under your drive?
I ask this because polyaspartic will not allow moisture to pass through it, so you will have a nice clear coating with moisture trapped beneath, ghosting is the term.
# 2. When this product eventually gives in to mother nature, and it will eventually, you will need dynamite to get it off your drive.

If you want a nice gloss sheen, you need an acrylic sealer that will gradually fade away, not leaving behind a troublesome residue. Once it fades away, you can re-apply making it new again.

Scotty hit the nail on the head. Thanks for jumping in. Been really busy and haven't had the time to get on here. gene

 

[Gary S]

I've never sealed any outdoor concrete. I figure it is less hassle to just replace the concrete every 80 years or so.

 

[GOLF for LIFE]

Has anyone had any experience with X-1 sealant?

 

[slickgt1]

Exterior concrete should be sealed. It will last so much longer to road salts even if you dont salt your concrete in the winter, you a dragging road salt from the highway. Elite Crete offers the BEST acrylic based sealer available. It is concentrated so your not paying for the cheap solvents that others are selling. Our 53% acrylic sealer is laced with MMA (methyl-Methacrylate) basically that's a liquid plastic. One 5 gallon pail makes 10-15 gallons. Sells for around $165.00 a pail. A smooth surface goes down around 300 sq. ft. a gallon. Broom texture, figure around 150-200 sq. ft. a gallon. Now these are real life figures, not salesman bull. We have voc compliant solvents also to cut the CSS in areas that require that. Shoot me an email if interested. No, it's not a urethane (non-breathable), no it's not an epoxy or a polyaspartic) this stuff is way too expensive and doesn't belong outside.

Gene, I am interested in this. I use Luster Seal (forget the number), on my concrete walls. It looks good, the only thing I notice is that if I put it down on the floor, there is a high chance of it becoming slippery when wet. I put it down on a concrete deck before tile, just to see what it would do. The concrete was brush finished (for tile), and the sections I covered in the sealer , water would bead like crazy. How is your product in comparison. I especially like the undiluted part about it. $120 for a 5 gal of Luster Seal is ridiculous.

 

[lilredex]

I'm wondering the same thing. Our new driveway is so white and bright it hurts to go outside during the day. I want something to put on it to tone it down some and seal it up I guess.

Give it time.......it'll develop its own patina. This was poured in 2004 and sealed once, shortly after. It never gets washed off with more than with the hose (no HP washing). Holding up just fine.

[Sorry, no shots of just concrete, they all have something else in them.]

 

[JimVonBaden]

It would sure help if Garage Journal required everyone to put their "location" in their avatar. It would help on the type of suggestions you get from some of the people who know and work with certain products.

Says the man with no location in his profile!

Jim

 

[GOLF for LIFE]

LOL well stated Jim.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I've never sealed any outdoor concrete. I figure it is less hassle to just replace the concrete every 80 years or so.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Falcon67]

FWIW - we don't seal anything outside, normally, down here. I'm sure some do, but 99% don't. Houston, your driveway ought to go gray after 30ish days when the water all cooks out of it. Unless they put some whitener in there.

 

[richtersrodz]

I have a brand new place, and I feel that the builder really stuck it to me on my driveway apron. (rock driveway - apron - garage slab) The slab is of course a lot nicer of a pour, but you can really see the piss poor quality of the outside apron. They first poured it right before a rain, and the house dripped on it, and they came back later and tried to cover up the drip marks. Two totally different colors of cement.

Now, it's almost like the rain is slowly washing away the concrete, and small layer at a time. We are seeing spots, that were not there a month ago, and not to mention it is cracking all over the place with hair line cracks. I told my wife, probably the only way to fix it, is to rip it out, and re-pour a new apron. (three car garage wide, by 2 car deep) It was just poured in March.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Grind the heck out of it and have an overlayment applied.
Less aggravation then a re- do if you have to pay for it.

Definitely pro-installer territory.

 

[joes169]

I have a brand new place, and I feel that the builder really stuck it to me on my driveway apron. (rock driveway - apron - garage slab) The slab is of course a lot nicer of a pour, but you can really see the piss poor quality of the outside apron. They first poured it right before a rain, and the house dripped on it, and they came back later and tried to cover up the drip marks. Two totally different colors of cement.

Now, it's almost like the rain is slowly washing away the concrete, and small layer at a time. We are seeing spots, that were not there a month ago, and not to mention it is cracking all over the place with hair line cracks. I told my wife, probably the only way to fix it, is to rip it out, and re-pour a new apron. (three car garage wide, by 2 car deep) It was just poured in March.

It's toast, lean on them to come back and tear it out & replace it. You may want to check with a local governing body, as in many areas, contractors are required to offer a minimum one year warranty on their work & material, whether they realize it or not................

 

[dcs Inc]

Sounds like the rain monster caught them. They then went and applied some off the shelf surface patch or made their own. If it is just drip edge damage it can be overlayed. (The whole apron) It is really tough to match an existing color. I'd suggest either have it replaced or have an overlay applied in a decorative fashion. The overlay can be a broom texture also. It takes as much time applying a broom texture as it does a slate trowel texture. Color is color. It can be as close as possible to concrete or it can be any complimentary color you wish. Designs are endless.

One question, is the apron separated from the garage slab? There should be an expansion joint material from apron to garage slab.

Have the builder repalce this or have control of who, what and how it is overlayed.