Concrete Driveway Sealer

Best Concrete Driveway Sealers

The best concrete driveway sealer for your concrete driveway will depend on what you want the concrete driveway to look like once sealed, your reason for sealing, and what you need the sealer to offer in terms of performance.

Look of the Concrete Driveway

If you want your concrete driveway to look unsealed, and you don’t want a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish, then you want a penetrating concrete sealer. Penetrating concrete sealers work entirely below the surface without changing the look, color, or finish of the concrete driveway.

The two most common types of penetrating concrete sealers are concrete densifiers and water repellent sealers. Densifiers are designed to reduce dusting and deterioration by increasing the strength and density of the concrete, and water repellent sealers are designed to reduce deterioration caused by water absorption by reducing the absorption of water and other liquids on the surface.

• Concrete Densifiers: Armor S2000, Armor L3000
• Water Repellent Sealers: Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25

One type of concrete sealer isn’t necessarily better than the other, but they are very different. If you have weak or deteriorating concrete, or concrete that has chipped, spalled, or cracked, then a densifier will help to increase the surface strength of the concrete and reducing concrete dusting and further deterioration from happening. While densifiers will increase the strength, they won’t stop further deterioration if the deterioration is being caused by the absorption of water or freeze-thaw cycles. For that, you would want a water repellent sealer. Water repellent sealers don’t strengthen the concrete. Instead, they work to protect the concrete by preventing water and ice from deteriorating the concrete in the pores. If you have a need for both types of sealers, you would apply a concrete densifier first and then a week later, apply a water repellent sealer.

As a third option, Foundation Armor manufactures the Armor WL550. It functions much like a Silane-Siloxane water repellent sealer, but it will also slightly darken the color of the concrete to bring out any dull and faded coloring.

If you want a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish, or a color, then you want an acrylic concrete sealer. Acrylic concrete sealers are designed to enhance and protect the surface of the concrete driveway with a visible surface film. Under the category of acrylic sealers there are water based acrylic sealers and solvent based acrylic sealers. Water based acrylic sealers will enhance the surface with a low to high gloss finish, without darkening the surface of the concrete. Solvent based acrylic sealers will enhance the surface of the concrete with a low to high gloss finish, and darken the surface of the concrete to make it look wet.

• Water based acrylic sealers: Armor WB15, Armor WB25
• Solvent based acrylic sealers: Armor AR350, Armor AR500, Armor AX25, Armor LV15, Armor LV25

Reason for Sealing the Concrete Driveway

Looks aside, it is important to think about what you need the sealer to offer in terms of performance. Each type of concrete sealer is designed to perform a certain way.

It is important to remember, penetrating sealers REDUCE and concrete coatings STOP. Penetrating sealers work below the surface of the concrete and leave the surface of the concrete driveway exposed. Sealers are designed to reduce damage and deterioration, but they can’t stop it. Coatings (acrylic sealers), work on the surface. They are designed to stop damage and deterioration by leaving behind a visible, protective surface film.

Here are a few of the best concrete driveway sealers to use, categorized by your reason for sealing:

• Reduce concrete dusting: Armor S2000, Armor L3000, Acrylic Sealers
• Strengthen concrete: Armor S2000, Armor L3000
• Reduce water absorption on the surface: Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25, Acrylic Sealers
• Reduce freeze-thaw damage: Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25, Acrylic Sealers
• Reduce mold and mildew: Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25, Acrylic Sealers
• Reduce efflorescence: Armor S2000, Armor L3000
• Reduce staining from water: Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25, Acrylic Sealers
• Reduce salt damage: Armor S2000, Armor L3000 AND Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, Armor SC25, Acrylic Sealers
• Reduce hot tire pickup: Armor AR350, Armor AR500, Armor WB15, Armor WB25, Armor LV15, Armor LV25, Armor AX25
• Reduce oil stains: Armor AR350, Armor AR500, Armor WB15, Armor WB25, Armor LV15, Armor LV25, Armor AX25
• Stop all of the above: Armor AR350, Armor AR500, Armor WB15, Armor WB25, Armor LV15, Armor LV25, Armor AX25

Still not sure which concrete driveway is best for your application? Contact a Foundation Armor technician today and they can help with product selection.