Garage floor sealer
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RPH
Well-known member
Look into Ghostshield products. The 8510 product is great. Vendors here carry and are worth supporting.
Shea
Well-known member
Do you want a penetrating sealer (no film on the surface) or a coating? There are pros and cons to each.
Looking for some answers on this as well.
Didn’t know there were so many concrete finishes available for different looks.
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Shea
Well-known member
There are two basic classes of sealers to choose from. The first are penetrating sealers. They generally do not require any concrete prep beforehand unless you have a very smooth or power troweled concrete surface. Penetrating sealers do exactly as described - they penetrate the surface of the concrete upon application.
Unlike a coating, they do not form a film at the surface. Instead, they all have varying reactions with the minerals in the concrete to form a molecular barrier right at the subsurface. As a result, they do not change the color or texture of the concrete. This is why they are non decorative.
Depending on the type of penetrating sealer used, including the profile (texture) and porosity of the concrete surface, they can do a good job at resisting moisture intrusion, and road salts as well as provide a decent amount of stain resistance. Some are better than others. None will provide 100% resistance to moisture intrusion or stain resistance. Moisture, chemicals, and petroleum products left to sit will stain the concrete to some degree unless cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time. They do make cleanup much easier though than unsealed concrete.
Penetrating sealers are also the easiest to apply and usually the least expensive of options. All they require in most cases is a pump up garden sprayer to apply the sealer to the surface. One of the more popular penetrating sealers as mention earlier is GhostShield. It's actually a system of sealers and is more expensive than a one application option. You can learn more about it in the link below.
https://allgaragefloors.com/oil-repelling-concrete-sealer/
The other type of sealer is a coating. Coatings are film forming and actually prevent (seal) moisture, petroleum products, and chemicals (depending on the coating) from reaching the concrete. They are available in clear and colored tints. They are considered decorative since they change the appearance of the concrete. Clear will darken the surface slightly and provide a glossy appearance in most cases. They can also be slippery when wet unless an anti-slip additive is added to the final coat.
Coatings are the easiest for cleaning up spills and general cleaning maintenance in general. Examples of coatings would be epoxy, polyurea, polyurethanes and polyapartics. Acrylics coatings are another example, but they are not as durable as the those previously mentioned and some acrylics are susceptible to chemicals.
Most coatings are highly resistant to staining, even if the chemicals and other petroleum products are allowed to sit for long periods. If staining does occur, it's the coating that stains and not the concrete.
Coatings are also more expensive than penetrating sealers and most require prepping the concrete first via etching or grinding. Unlike penetrating sealers, coatings can also get damaged. Sharp heavy objects that scratch them is the most common. Other examples are burn marks from welding or chipping from heavy objects dropped on the concrete. Of course, how much they resist this type of damage depends on the quality of the coating or the coating system (multiple coats).
One of the more popular coatings for DIY application and excellent protection are the single-part polyureas. These are arguably the easiest to apply, but they still require concrete prep beforehand. A single coat of a clear polyurea makes for excellent protection from stains and chemicals as well as easy clean up. You can read more about these type of coatings in the link below.
https://allgaragefloors.com/polyurea-best-garage-floor-coating-kits/
Unlike a coating, they do not form a film at the surface. Instead, they all have varying reactions with the minerals in the concrete to form a molecular barrier right at the subsurface. As a result, they do not change the color or texture of the concrete. This is why they are non decorative.
Depending on the type of penetrating sealer used, including the profile (texture) and porosity of the concrete surface, they can do a good job at resisting moisture intrusion, and road salts as well as provide a decent amount of stain resistance. Some are better than others. None will provide 100% resistance to moisture intrusion or stain resistance. Moisture, chemicals, and petroleum products left to sit will stain the concrete to some degree unless cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time. They do make cleanup much easier though than unsealed concrete.
Penetrating sealers are also the easiest to apply and usually the least expensive of options. All they require in most cases is a pump up garden sprayer to apply the sealer to the surface. One of the more popular penetrating sealers as mention earlier is GhostShield. It's actually a system of sealers and is more expensive than a one application option. You can learn more about it in the link below.
https://allgaragefloors.com/oil-repelling-concrete-sealer/
The other type of sealer is a coating. Coatings are film forming and actually prevent (seal) moisture, petroleum products, and chemicals (depending on the coating) from reaching the concrete. They are available in clear and colored tints. They are considered decorative since they change the appearance of the concrete. Clear will darken the surface slightly and provide a glossy appearance in most cases. They can also be slippery when wet unless an anti-slip additive is added to the final coat.
Coatings are the easiest for cleaning up spills and general cleaning maintenance in general. Examples of coatings would be epoxy, polyurea, polyurethanes and polyapartics. Acrylics coatings are another example, but they are not as durable as the those previously mentioned and some acrylics are susceptible to chemicals.
Most coatings are highly resistant to staining, even if the chemicals and other petroleum products are allowed to sit for long periods. If staining does occur, it's the coating that stains and not the concrete.
Coatings are also more expensive than penetrating sealers and most require prepping the concrete first via etching or grinding. Unlike penetrating sealers, coatings can also get damaged. Sharp heavy objects that scratch them is the most common. Other examples are burn marks from welding or chipping from heavy objects dropped on the concrete. Of course, how much they resist this type of damage depends on the quality of the coating or the coating system (multiple coats).
One of the more popular coatings for DIY application and excellent protection are the single-part polyureas. These are arguably the easiest to apply, but they still require concrete prep beforehand. A single coat of a clear polyurea makes for excellent protection from stains and chemicals as well as easy clean up. You can read more about these type of coatings in the link below.
https://allgaragefloors.com/polyurea-best-garage-floor-coating-kits/
I used Ghost shield Epoxy 325 to seal the floor and top coated it with the Ghostshield 645. Its only been on there for about a month now but so far I love it. Did my first big repair job on it last weekend which involved brake fluid on the floor and so far there has been no lifting, bubbling or flaking. There was some slight discoloration where the brake fluid was sitting for a little while but that is to be expected.
Garage Flooring
ALLIANCE MEMBER
As others have suggested:
No finish change, GHostshield 8510
Clear Polyurea to enhance the finish
https://www.garageflooringllc.com/2018/07/26/clear-polyurea-applications/
Ron_J
Well-known member
How does the ghostshield hold up to welding slag and grinding sparks?
I'm trying to decide between something like this and just an oil based paint.
I'm trying to decide between something like this and just an oil based paint.
RPH
Well-known member
Ghostshield 8505 or the 8510 products penetrate into the concrete. Thus are essentially immune to welding damage. There in no coating to burn, only sub- surface protection. Your concrete will have the same gray tone once the product is applied. If you desire color then look to stain products before the ghostshield goes on. The vendors here provide unmatched service for the members here. They can be a great resource.
Garage Flooring
ALLIANCE MEMBER
A clear polyurea will provide the best aesthetic value and a better protection for spills that are not wiped up. It will not hold up to welding and requires prep. https://floor.ws/polyurea
Ghostshield 4500/8510 combination is hands down the best penetrating sealer I have seen for oil protection. Little prep is required. Just a clean, untreated floor. It leaves no film and makes no change to appearance. Spills will break through if left to long. https://floor.ws/ghostshield
