The main purpose of concrete sealer is to protect the concrete floor from the harshness of the external environment. Also, there has been a striking boost in the usage of concrete sealing for decorative purposes. They not only help in increasing the longevity of your floor, but also in enhancing the aesthetic value of the same. A sealer therefore, an essential ingredient of your recipe for a strong, protected and appealing concrete floor or wall. However, it is important to know and understand the problems that are most commonly faced by people while using the concrete sealer.

Striking a Balance between the Temperature

As the extreme of anything is harmful, same applies for the application process as well. Too high or too low temperature can cause various kinds of problems and hence, may ruin the whole purpose of the concrete sealer.

A very low temperature leads to a very high possibility of the failure of the concrete sealers. It can cause the following damages to the concrete sealer:

• It might not get completely dried,

• This will lead to the weakening of the concrete sealer coating,

• The sealer will be, hence, unable to form a strong protective coating.

On the other hand, a very high temperature poses the problem of the sealant drying up too early which leads to the formation of the blisters on the surface of the concrete wall. This happens because the air and gas get entrapped between the constituents. Also, the high temperature hinders the process of flattening the sealant since it causes the sealant to stick to the roller. Therefore the sealant does not get evenly applied to the surface.

The optimum temperature for applying the concrete sealer is 50 - 90 degree Fahrenheit.

Preventing the Blushing effect

Blushing is another common problem faced by people while applying coatings to their walls or floors. It refers to the fuzzy blotches that appear below the surface where it has been applied. This reason behind the blushing effect is the trapping of moisture between the concrete and the sealer. Therefore, in order to avoid blushing, the concrete must be dried up completely before applying the sealant. Also, the concrete sealer should be applied as per the specialist’s advice who recommends it to be applied in even manner.

Possible damage from the Salts

The salts can destroy the protective coating as well as the concrete by penetrating into it. The salts get across the concrete in form of the salt water. Prolonged exposure to such environment can lead to the sealant wearing off from the concrete. As a preventive measure to this problem, the following procedure should be followed:

A penetrating sealant, which can permeate into the pores of concrete should be applied as the first coating on the concrete wall. Following this, the surface sealer should be applied on the concrete.

Once you have taken all the above mentioned measures while applying the concrete sealer to your walls and/or floors, just stay assured about its long life.