Why seal concrete
Bare concrete soaks up oil, drink spills and hard water like a sponge. It also "dusts," shedding a fine powder that gets tracked everywhere. Outside, the Vegas sun fades colored and stamped concrete. A good sealer slows all of that down.
Two kinds of sealer
- Penetrating sealers soak in and repel water and stains from inside the concrete. They don't change the look much. They're good for plain flatwork and garage floors where you want a natural finish.
- Topical sealers sit on top. They add a sheen and deepen color on stained or stamped concrete. Outside, they need to be UV-stable, because cheap ones can yellow or peel in our sun.
I'll tell you which fits your surface and how you use it.
What I seal
- Garage floors (cleaned and degreased first)
- Patios and walkways
- Interior concrete in homes, showrooms and offices
- Commercial back-of-house areas
Prep matters most
Sealer won't fix a dirty or oily slab. It locks the dirt in. I clean and degrease first and make sure the surface is dry. If there's old sealer that's failing, it may need to come off.
What I don't do
I'm not a concrete contractor. I don't pour, resurface, grind for polished concrete, or do epoxy flake systems. If you need that, I'll say so.
How often
Outdoor sealers in our climate usually need renewing every few years, depending on the product and the sun exposure. A simple test: sprinkle water. If it beads, you're fine. If it darkens the concrete right away, it's time.