Concrete is a material used in almost 95% of constructions. You can use it for the flooring of your patio, paver driveway, exposed aggregate walkway, or sometimes on the countertops inside your home. But these concrete surfaces need to be sealed with concrete sealers to make them durable and long-lasting.
Concrete sealing is a method in which the concrete surfaces are sealed with a thick liquid material. It protects the concrete surface from corrosion, surface damage, and staining. The material used for concrete sealing enters into the porous concrete and makes it resistant to chemical intrusion, steel – reinforcements, and corrosion.
But the concrete sealing should not be neglected after it is applied. Although the property of a concrete sealer is to be durable, it is also necessary to maintain sealings over specific periods. This is to lower your expenses that might occur if you ignore the maintenance.
Maintaining the concrete sealed surfaces is easy and inexpensive. The concrete sealers are often long-lasting and durable, then why should you maintain them? Well, the only reason behind maintenance is to expand the overall lifespan and enhance the beauty of surfaces over time. Imagine how will your concrete sealed surface look if you haven’t cleaned it for years?
We will have a look at some of the tips you can adhere to while applying the concrete sealers and how you can maintain them.
Tips on applying concrete sealers effectively:
The first step towards maintaining a concrete surface is how effectively you have sealed the surface. If the surface is sealed correctly with every possible care, then you don’t need to worry about the maintenance. Although maintenance is necessary, it will not be exhausting if you seal them properly at the beginning itself.
We will look at some of the easiest ways to keep in mind while applying a concrete sealer to avoid high maintenance.
- Keep the surface clean and dry before applying the concrete sealer. If you apply on the dirt, it will not be firmly attached to the surface. It will also wear off within some days of using the sealer.
- Try to apply the sealer in thin coats rather than applying thick layers. 2-3 coats of concrete sealers give a fantastic finish to the floors.
- One of the essential aspects to keep in mind while applying a concrete sealer is the temperature. Try to apply it in the afternoon for better results.
How to clean and maintain sealed concrete floors?
There are many ways of cleaning sealed concrete floors. It depends on the type of floor and sealers used for topping the floors. With outdoor and indoor concrete floors, the cleaning may vary depending on the frequency and purpose of using the floor.
For example, if your concrete sealed surface is inside your home, then it may not be sophisticated to clean it up with conventional cleaning methods. What matters is the maintenance that should be done with specific cleaning.
But if the concrete sealing is outside the home, then it may require proper knowledge and steps for cleaning and maintaining it. If you are not sure about different ways of cleaning the sealed concrete floors, then you can contact the technical department or website from where you purchased the sealer for guidance.
We will have a look at some of the necessary steps that you will need to follow that don’t necessarily need technical knowledge of cleaning and maintenance.
1. Remove dust/stains and clean the surface.
You can remove the dust and stains off the surface before cleaning it with any cloth. Try to clean the spills as soon as they occur, and don’t try to ignore them. Doing so will make further cleaning more difficult. Sometimes, the stains may discolor the floor if not removed or cleaned immediately. Thus removing the stains and dust is the simplest yet effective cleaning step in the maintenance of concrete sealers.
2. Find and repair the cracks.
If you come across any small cracks or scratches on the surface of your sealed concrete floors, seal them immediately. Sealing the surfaces will avoid the water intrusion into pores of surface. It will also minimize the dirt collection in cracks and joints. It will also help in expanding the durability of the surface by making it resistant to water and dust particles.
3. If needed, reapplication should be done.
Sealing the concrete will expand the lifespan of your concrete surfaces and make them look great. If you feel your concrete surface has lost its appearance after repairing the cracks, then do not hesitate to reseal the surface. Even a single coating will be enough to hide the small joints and repaired cracks. You can contact a concrete resurfacing company in Orlando.
4. Avoid heavy weight materials on delicate floorings.
Outdoor floors consisting of your paver driveway or aggregated walkway are durable enough to withstand the weight of medium-sized machines or vehicles. But they cannot be suitable for heavy machinery and trucks. So you need to take care while overloading the stuff from delivery vans. You can make them stand on the road and avoid their entrance on the floor that can be destroyed with the weight of heavy trucks.
5. Avoid unnecessary and unsuitable chemicals for cleaning.
Don’t try to use the chemicals that can harm the sealed surfaces and destroy their allure. Also, make sure to use specific cleaners for the floor and educate yourself about their usage while buying them. Household cleaners may sometimes harm the surface, leaving it miserable enough to lose the properties of water and dust resistant.
The concrete sealers used on walkways in your garden or paver driveway can come in contact with the pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals used for gardening. So, be sure to avoid the spillage of chemicals or drainage that can indirectly affect the sealing of concrete surfaces.
Conclusion:
It is essential to take appropriate care of the concrete sealed surfaces and clean them at regular intervals. It not only increases the longevity of surfaces but also improves the appearance and textures. With this article we hope that you may have found better ways to maintain your concrete sealed floor and expand their lifespan.
