Concrete Sealing in Wexford, PA

Concrete sealing

The cheapest thing you can do for a good slab

What does sealing actually stop?

Four things, and all of them start the same way. Staining, because oil and rust sit on the surface instead of wicking in. Dusting, because the fine powder a bare slab sheds onto your boots and your stock is the top of the concrete wearing away. Salt damage, because road salt cannot reach the pores. And freeze and thaw spalling, because there is no water in the surface to expand when it freezes. In western Pennsylvania the last two are the ones that ruin garage and outdoor slabs, and stopping them is most of what our Wexford concrete contractor work is for.

There is plenty of salt to keep out: PennDOT treats state roads here right through the winter season.

Sealing, coating or polishing, what is the difference?

Think of it as how much you are changing. Sealing protects the floor and leaves it looking like concrete. Polishing changes the surface of the slab itself into something hard and bright, then guards it. Coating lays a whole new resin surface over the top, which is where flake and metallic finishes come from. They cost different amounts and last different lengths of time, so the right one depends on the room and what you want from it. Rick will walk you through all three at the estimate rather than steer you at the dearest. Start with a garage floor if you want to see a full build.

Does the floor have to be prepared first?

Yes, and this is where most do it yourself sealing goes wrong. A sealer has to reach clean, open concrete. If there is old sealer, curing compound, adhesive, paint or ground in oil on the surface, the new product either will not soak in or will not stick, and it fails in patches within a season. So the slab gets cleaned and, depending on what is on it, ground before anything is applied. That is the same prep that goes under every resurfacing job we do.

How often does a sealed floor need doing again?

It depends entirely on the product and what the floor puts up with. A penetrating sealer on an interior slab can go many years without attention. A film on an outdoor slab taking sun, rain and a Pennsylvania winter will need refreshing far sooner. Rather than quote you a number that sounds good, Rick tells you what he is using on your floor and what to expect from it, and he would rather you knew that up front than found out in year three. The commercial floors we look after get the same honest answer.

Can I just buy a sealer and do it myself?

You can, and it usually fails on prep rather than product. A sealer needs clean, open concrete to reach. Old sealer, adhesive, paint or soaked in oil will stop it, and then it peels in patches within a season.

Will sealing change how my floor looks?

Some sealers leave the concrete looking almost the same, others add a sheen and deepen the color slightly, the way a wet slab looks darker. Rick will tell you which one he is proposing and what it will do.

Does a sealed floor get slippery?

A film forming sealer can be when it is wet. If the floor sees water or you want more grip, a non slip additive goes into the product. It is a normal request and it costs very little.

Can you seal a floor that already has stains in it?

Grinding takes the top of the slab off along with most surface staining. Anything that has soaked deep in may still show through, and Rick will tell you what he expects before you decide to go ahead.

Is sealing worth it on a garage floor?

It is the single best thing you can do for a garage slab here. Salt and meltwater off the tires are what pit and flake concrete over a few winters, and a sealed surface keeps both of them out of the pores.

Do you seal driveways and patios?

Bring Rick out to look. Outdoor concrete around Pittsburgh takes sun, rain, freeze and thaw and salt, so the answer depends on the slab and what is expected of it. You will get a straight yes or no.