Raw Brick Patio sealing

[8pack]

Good morning,

I have an indoor 3 season sunroom with raw brick laid in a concrete slab. We use it to hang out and entertain etc. It collects dirt, dust and stains like crazy. I am planning to have it steam cleaned and then would like to seal it. I plan to do the sealing myself.

Looking for a matte or satin finish that will seal the pores in the brick and allow for easy clean up of spills and sweeping up of dirt etc. low VOC is ideal but at the end of the day the right product is what is most important.

Thanks!

 

[kaymccampbell]

I've seen two schools of thought on this. Varnish and wax.

For varnish, you clean the brick, let it dry and use your preferred coating. I've seen concrete sealer, varnish, epoxy, and polyurethane used with varying success. IME oil based holds up longer, and typically just wears down, and allows a recoat, water based, not so much. No matter what you choose, it takes several coats, depending on the product you select. When it fails, you'll be introduced to the joys of stripping the finish.

For wax, you clean the brick, let it dry, then seal it with your preferred masonry sealer. You'll need to put down enough coats to make water bead on the brick. After that, you put down your wax. You can use water or solvent based wax. It'll take several coats, depending on your product. I've never seen the wax fail. It does wear down, and you'll need to occasionally clean, surface strip, and coat it again. You'll need to invest in a buffer for finishing, or not, depending on what surface texture you like. Remember to stick with whichever type of wax you choose, cause water n solvent don't always mix, and you can get a weird bloom, or complete rejection.

 

[dcg9381]

Talk to the vendors over in the flooring section. I've got experience with concrete, but brick "may" be the same.
Our driveways, one porch, and walkways are stained and then are coated in https://www.legacyindustrial.co/products/hd6660-mma-concrete-sealer/ - it's UV resistant. As I understand it, it's essentially a "suspended plastic", low cost, and very transparent. You can get it in "matte" but for us it goes on matte. It's downside on concrete is that it can be slick when wet, may not be as much of an issue if you can use it over brick.

 

[FJ4FUN]

Wolverine Coatings AcryliSeal 3501 is super versatile and tough nano-polymer sealer. Apply the 1st coat diluted 50/50 with warm water and the 2nd at full strength for a matte finish.

 

[8pack]

I posted my thread twice not realizing it. Thanks for the responses! Attached are a couple of pics of the floor. I would like it sealed enough so dirt can be easily vacuumed or swept up without getting caught in all the crevices and pores. So I am looking for a sealer that is also a coating and not just a penetrating sealer which retains all the characteristics of the brick but just makes it water repellent.

 

[FJ4FUN]

I posted my thread twice not realizing it. Thanks for the responses! Attached are a couple of pics of the floor. I would like it sealed enough so dirt can be easily vacuumed or swept up without getting caught in all the crevices and pores. So I am looking for a sealer that is also a coating and not just a penetrating sealer which retains all the characteristics of the brick but just makes it water repellent.

AcryliSeal......

 

[Mike65]

I used Foundation Armor SX5000WB penetrating water-based silicone concrete sealer & masonry water repellant on my garage floor once the concrete cured. I applied it using a garden sprayer.
https://www.foundationarmor.com/SX5000WB/

 

[8pack]

Here is a cross thread with a review and the process along with pics of the before and after.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ication-results-and-brick-floor-rehab.518806/