When you choose to seal your concrete, it's not as simple as going to your local hardware store, purchasing a bucket of generic high gloss concrete sealer, and spraying it on your patio, walkway, or driveway. When you get to your hardware store, you'll be faced with a wall of potential options…
- Acrylic, Penetrating, Epoxy, Polyurethane, etc.?
- Water-based or solvent-based sealant?
- Natural, matte, semi-gloss, high-gloss concrete sealer?
The possibilities are seemingly endless. So, if you're going to successfully seal your concrete (which you should definitely do) without being paralyzed by all those choices, you need to think through some of the reasons you want to have your concrete sealed.
Naturally, it's important to seal concrete because of the protection it offers. Sealed concrete is less likely to crack, shift, or absorb stains. But what if you're looking for more than protection? What if you want to really make your concrete pop?
In that case, you may want to consider using a high gloss concrete sealer to finish your new concrete. With that said, high gloss concrete sealer isn't for every application (or for everyone). So, how do you know if you should consider using it for your newly poured concrete space?
Here are a handful of reasons you may want to choose high gloss concrete sealer…
High Gloss Concrete Sealer for Indoor Concrete Spaces
One of the dangers of using a high gloss concrete sealer is that it can become incredibly slippery when wet. This is why putting it around the pool or on any flat outdoor surface is a bad idea. But indoor spaces seldom get wet. And if you happen to spill a little water on the kitchen floor, wiping it up is as easy as grabbing a paper towel.
So, if you put concrete in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or other indoor space, high gloss concrete sealer or a wet look sealer is a great way to enhance its look. This is especially the case if your concrete is colored, stained, or you just want it to have a more striking appearance than it naturally would have.
High Gloss Concrete Sealer For Home Improvement
Every homeowner wants to be able to say they've lived in the same house for years and years. But high-gloss concrete sealer can give your home an even greater feeling of timelessness…
If you're looking to put a new coat of high gloss sealant on your high traffic concrete, high gloss sealant will make it look like you just had new floors installed. You can also use high-gloss sealer on garage floors to enhance the overall look of your home and create a beautiful space for showing off your vehicles.
High Gloss Concrete Sealer for Stamped Concrete
If you've taken advantage of the decorative features of stamped concrete, a high gloss sealant may be exactly what you're looking for. Stamped concrete's uneven surface allows it to retain a better grip even when covered with a coat of high gloss. In addition, the shiny appearance it provides can really add to the stamp's designs. This is why high-gloss concrete sealer may be a good option if you have stamped concrete. Just be careful not to use high-gloss sealant on high traffic stamped concrete (just like with high traffic regular concrete) as it can make the surface extremely slippery.
Concrete Stain vs Concrete Sealer for Stained Concrete
What about using high gloss concrete stain? Well, they both provide a unique look and enhance your concrete. Apex high-gloss concrete sealer is non-yellowing and will protect the concrete from UV rays. This gives it an extremely high value as a concrete sealer.
A high traffic concrete stain will usually last between 3 and 10 years before needing to be re-coated. By comparison, a high gloss sealant indoors can easily provide 5+ years of high gloss protection without needing reapplication. It seals the surface from oil, water, dirt and other contaminants while providing high gloss protection that will last up to 7 years.
High Gloss Concrete Sealer for Broom Finished Concrete
As with stamped concrete, broom finished concrete will take a high-gloss finish far better than a flat one. This is because broom finished concrete is textured, and that texture provides a slip resistance that smooth concrete lacks. So, if you're looking to seal broom finished concrete (or any other kind of textured concrete) and you want it to shine, a high gloss sealant may be just what you're looking for.
These are some of the most common uses of high-gloss sealant. And while there may be other times when such a product would be appropriate, before you seal your concrete with a high gloss, make sure that it's either textured or won't get excessively wet.
Otherwise, you may find yourself slipping and sliding all over it.
Take a look at our industry best sealing products or contact us for more product support, technical support, and training.
We're sure you have a lot of questions. So, we made this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) available to you all in the interest that it may be helpful for your sealing project and its success!
