You can create a one of a kind concrete design in your home, business, or on your commercial property. Concrete offers many advantages for use in exterior and interior concrete projects. Concrete is stronger than wood, doesn’t require the extensive care that wood requires, and can be shaped to nearly any shape imaginable. However, there are a few disadvantages to using concrete. While a sound material for construction, concrete might be too expensive for certain projects, is costly to install, and may be troublesome to clean.
When concrete is first poured it is susceptible to water that can seep through from the surrounding environment. The best way to prevent this is to build a type of barrier along the perimeter of your home and business to act as a layer of insulation against water. Once this has been done, the next step is to make sure that the concrete is properly sealed after the pouring of the concrete. The first step in this process is to apply an effective sealer that will protect the concrete from water damage and will also keep dirt out of the concrete. Depending on the application you may choose a wide variety of products, such as a sealer with stain resistance or an enamel coating to provide better protection.
There are three basic types of sealers available to consumers: acrylic, epoxy, and concrete. Each has its own merits, so you should research them carefully before making a final selection. Some sealers may require a different application method than others, so know which product is best suited for your concrete. Acrylic and epoxy sealers provide excellent coverage and are available in a wide variety of sealers, so they are an excellent choice for use with stamped concrete.
While it may be desirable to have a smooth surface after pouring concrete, this isn’t always practical. If water runs into your concrete when it is being poured, you may end up with puddles or streaks. This can cause damage to decorative or sensitive parts of your concrete, or it may make the concrete too slick to safely drive or walk-in. In this case, sealers can help.
A concrete sealer is simply a coating that is applied to your concrete before it is poured. It acts like a shield that helps prevent water from getting to the concrete while it is being poured. They can be applied over wet concrete, as well as dry concrete. The concrete sealer will provide an invisible barrier that will keep water from reaching the concrete. Sealers will prevent the concrete from cracking, expanding, contracting, rotting, or warping.
Some sealers are referred to as crackers. The purpose of a cracker is to create a stress point in your stamped concrete. After a while, when the concrete begins to expand, the cracker will penetrate the concrete and push it to stop expansion. When the cracker is no longer effective, it is removed and a new one can be applied. Sometimes multiple coats of concrete sealer are needed to reach the intended result. These sealers are generally water-based and will not harm the concrete.
There are many reasons why you might apply sealers to your concrete. In some cases, the sealers will act as a protective coating. This will make sure that the concrete does not stain or show signs of distress after it has been cleaned. Other times, the sealers will be applied to increase the aesthetic appearance of the concrete. If you want to make sure that your concrete looks nice before you install it, you might consider applying a sealer.
Once you have sealed your concrete, you will want to make sure that it is properly maintained. It is important to remove sealers every two to three years. When you remove sealers, make sure that you clean the surface properly. Otherwise, the sealers could start to flake off. Once you have sealed your concrete once, you will find that it does need sealers quite often. For more information, contact Concrete Seattle.