Top 5 Benefits of Using a Water-Based Concrete Sealer for Your Project

Keeping your concrete driveway, garage floor or garden pathway looking good usually comes down to how you choose to protect it. Cleaning your concrete often and trying not to damage it with heavy impacts is a good place to start, but someday, something out of your control may happen, and your concrete could become stained, chipped, or cracked.

You can give your concrete the protection it needs by applying a water-based concrete sealer. These sealers can help your concrete resist all sorts of damage and keep it looking like new for longer.

Let’s dive into why water based concrete sealers are so good!

What is a Water Based Concrete Sealer?

A water based concrete sealer as a liquid acrylic substance with a water base that can be spread out over the top of dried, unsealed concrete. These sealers, often applied in two layers, will dry within a few days to either a matte or gloss finish, depending on the product you use. 

Water based sealers can be combined with tinted sealers to add colour as well as protection. This can allow you to not only protect your concrete but breathe new life into its looks as well! Should you choose not to add colour, a clear water based sealer will bolden the natural colour of your concrete instead.

The Benefits of Water Based Concrete Sealer

Here are five benefits to using water based concrete sealers for your concrete surfaces!

Protects Your Concrete

The number one benefit of any type of concrete sealer is its ability to protect your concrete from outside damage. A correctly-applied layer (or two) of sealant can protect your concrete from a number of threats, including:

• UV Damage: Like it does to your painted walls, clothing, artwork and furniture, UV rays from the sun can cause the quality of your concrete to deteriorate. Unsealed concrete can become weaker and brittle under the focused glare of the sun, but a water based concrete sealer can help it resist these effects. 

Poor-quality sealers will be able to protect your concrete from UV rays, but they may become yellow, brittle and weakened themselves. A good-quality sealer, like those found at Australian Slate-Crete Supplies, will be able to resist yellowing and cracking while still providing a strong defence against the effects of the sun.

• Chemical Spills: If you have a concrete floor in a workshop, laboratory or warehouse, chances are at some point, chemicals are going to be spilled on its surface. Raw concrete is a porous and incredibly-absorbent material, making it very prone to become damaged by spilled acids, cleaning solutions and other types of mixtures often found in the workplace.

A water-based concrete sealer can prevent chemicals from reaching the concrete itself, instead keeping them on the surface so you can quickly clean it up. Certain types of chemicals can still damage sealed concrete if left there to wear it down, so always clean up any spills as soon as possible.

• Oil and Greases: Oil, greases and other fatty substances can quickly stain raw concrete, sinking into the pores and becoming impossible to remove without the use of strong, abrasive cleaners.

By using a water-based sealer to protect your concrete, you can easily prevent greases and oils from permanently staining it.

• Impact Damage: Falling shelves, dropped power tools and other sharp, heavy items can cause your concrete to crack or chip from the point of impact. While it is a dense and strong material, the surface of concrete is quite porous and can be easily damaged under targeted impacts.

By applying a protective sealant over your concrete’s surface, you can make sure that any dropped objects won’t leave a mark. This can also prevent your tools and any other dropped items from becoming scratched upon contact with the rough surface of raw concrete.

• Damage Over Time: Repeatedly walking or driving over unsealed concrete can lead to a level of wear over time that you won’t notice until it’s too late. This can be in the form of subtle ruts, a change in colour or a weakened section that is more prone to damage from other parts of the concrete.

Sealing your concrete means it can resist these more subtle damages, staying whole and unblemished for longer.

As you can see, applying a water based concrete sealer is worth it for its many protective abilities alone! Keeping your concrete floors protected means you won’t need to spend money and time repairing and replacing them in the future.

Shows Off Your Concrete’s Colour

One of the great things about a water based concrete sealer is its ability to make your concrete look more beautiful. Most water based sealers will bolden and deepen the existing colour of your concrete, and depending on the type of water-based sealer you choose, you’ll be able to choose from a matte finish (flat, no shine) or a glossy finish (reflective, very shiny).

High-gloss water based sealers can also be combined with tinted sealers to add colours to plain concrete. Not only can this be used to revitalise plain grey concrete for decorative purposes, but it’s also useful for adding markings like safety lines and lettering inside workplaces.

Long-Lasting Protection

One of the best things about water based concrete sealer is its ability to provide long-lasting protection when compared to its solvent-based counterpart. Sealers that are water based, if applied correctly, tend to last around five years before needing a new coat. Solvent based sealers, on the other hand, will only last between three and four years before needing a touch-up.

Completing steps like clearing your concrete off any debris, cleaning it up with a degreaser to remove old stains, and sanding rough or uneven edges can all help your sealer adhere correctly and prolong its lifespan. Quickly cleaning up any spills before they have the chance to weaken the sealer can also help in this endeavour.

Find out more about the differences between solvent based and water based concrete sealers, check out our blog on Water Based Concrete Sealers vs Solvent Based Concrete Sealers.

Better for the Environment

You don’t want your newly-strengthened concrete floor to come at the cost of the environment around you. That’s why water based concrete sealers are the protection of choice for eco-conscious individuals.

Because they don’t contain any harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds), water based concrete sealers won’t harm your garden, contaminate nearby waterways or poison your soil if it comes into contact with it. It also won’t have the same strong chemical smell that a solvent based sealer will, meaning you don’t need to worry about wearing a mask or working in a well-ventilated area while you apply the coatings.

This means that, when you’re done and if there is a bit of excess sealer on the ground, you can simply hose it into your frain or garden without a second thought.

Easy to Work With

If you’ve never worked with concrete before, don’t worry! Applying a water based concrete sealer is easy enough for anyone to have a go at. Once the raw concrete has been cleaned and sanded, simply pour thin ribbons of the sealer across the surface and use a broom or roller brush to spread it evenly across the surface. Once it has dried (this can take between 6-12 hours), make sure the surface is still clean, then apply a second coat. Give this second coat a day or two to completely dry before using your freshly coated concrete!

If you get any water based sealer on your skin or clothes, don’t panic–it won’t hurt you, and it’s easy to clean up. Warm water and soap will clean it off your skin, and a quick wash in your machine will remove it from your clothing. The important thing is to clean them fast, as the sealer is designed to be difficult to remove once dry.

For more information about how to apply a water based concrete sealer, please read our blog on the Best Practices for Applying Water-Based Concrete Sealer.

Trust Aus Slate-Crete for Concrete Sealers in Australia

Have you been looking for a way to protect your concrete floors? Use a water based sealer and enjoy an easy application, strong protection and an extended period of protection for many years.

At Australian Slate-Crete Supplies, we are pleased to offer our customers gloss and matte options for water based concrete sealers, as well as tinters to add colour if desired. As the home of decorative concrete supplies in Melbourne, you can always turn to us for high-quality concrete supplies and tools perfect for DIY use.

So, next time you’re looking for concrete sealers for Australian concrete floors, trust us to help you in your search! Contact us on 03 9408 7722 or leave us a message online if you have any further questions regarding which sealer is right for you, or how to use any of our products.