A natural look sealer is a sealer that will leave the concrete looking exactly as it looked before being sealed. It won’t change the look or color of the concrete, and it won’t leave behind a low to high gloss finish.
There are two types of natural look concrete sealers that can be applied to unsealed concrete: a concrete densifier and a water repellent sealer.
Concrete densifiers, like the Armor S2000 and Armor L3000, chemically react below the surface of the concrete to form Calcium Silicate Hydrate in the pores. Concrete densifiers are designed to increase the strength and density of the concrete. Concrete densifiers are great for concrete in need of an increase in strength, and for concrete floors that are being polished.
The second type of natural look concrete sealer is a water repellent sealer like the Armor SX5000, Armor SX5000 WB, and Armor SC25. Water repellent sealers chemically react below the surface of the concrete to form a hydrophobic barrier within the pores that will reduce the absorption of surface water by up to 95%. Concrete sealed with a water repellent sealer is more resistant to damage and deterioration caused by water absorption, freeze-thaw cycling, de-icing salts, and is also resistant to mold, mildew and algae growth. They are the most popular type of natural look concrete sealer and can be applied to virtually every interior and exterior concrete application.
- Armor SX5000 WB – The Armor SX5000 WB is a DOT-approved water-based silane siloxane water repellent sealer. It is the most popular natural-look concrete sealer for sealing concrete, brick, natural stone, pavers, and masonry.
- Armor SX5000 – The Armor SX5000 is a DOT-approved solvent-based silane siloxane water repellent sealer. The look, life, and performance benefits are identical to the Armor SX5000 WB. The difference being that the carrying agent is a solvent instead of water. Whether or not you choose water or solvent based depends on your preference of working with water vs solvent based materials.
- Armor SC25 – The Armor SC25 is a siliconate water repellent sealer. It is designed specifically for white, or very light concrete.