The Guys love concrete.
It is the most widely used man-made product in the world, used in everything from the Hoover Dam to the tallest building in the world, the Burj Kalif, in Dubai.
Reinforced concrete has been utilized for a couple of hundred years, but the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world has capped the Pantheon in Rome for more than 2,000 years.
Ongoing research with the product has produced geo-polymer concrete, fly-ash concrete, water permeable material that can function as drainable parking surfaces, self-repairing concrete, and even transparent concrete made with optical fibers.
But most of our familiarity with the material comes from its use as sidewalks, driveways, foundation components and basement floors in and around our homes.
The Guys have written several articles about the proper specification and placement of concrete and talk every year about caution with regard to use of ice melters.
One of the few drawbacks to concrete in residential applications is its affinity for moisture. It has the ability to absorb large quantities of water and retain it or even wick it to areas of lower moisture.
When a sample of the material is saturated and subjected to freezing temperatures, it can break apart as the frozen water expands, as evidenced by midwestern roadways enduring the freeze/thaw cycle.
Less obvious is the pass-through of moisture that occurs year-round with garage and basement floors, sidewalks, porches and driveways.
The industry has created several products that can serve to protect concrete and extend the functional life of a placement while limiting water absorption.
Commonly known as sealers, these are used to extend durability by keeping out water, oils, chemicals and minimizing damage caused by UV exposure.
There are two types of sealers we typically use: topical and penetrating.
The biggest differences between the two, besides cost, are ease of application and longevity. Whereas a topical creates a thin surface film that may function up to three years, a penetrating sealer, when properly applied by a professional, can offer protection for 10 years or more.
They are available as either water or solvent based, but solvent based products used on exterior concrete may yellow over time.
Due to air quality issues, short drying times and ease of application, water-based sealers have become the popular choice for the DIY market.
Another important distinction is whether the product is breathable or non-breathable.
Where a placement is ground supported and exposed to outside air, we want our concrete to pass through and release any water that it may absorb from below. For this reason, we would apply a breathable product to an outdoor drive, porch or sidewalk that serves to protect against the absorption of precipitation while allowing any moisture in the mass to wick out into the air above.
When dealing with indoor concrete like a basement or even a garage floor, we would employ a non-breathable sealer to minimize the movement of moisture from the ground below into the space above.
Unsealed garage floors will seasonally conduct large amounts of moisture that show up as condensation on cold interior surfaces.
Basements are typically described as “musty” due to the reality of the moisture conducted into the space through unsealed concrete floors.
This moisture can lead to contaminated air that is distributed throughout the home by mechanical systems and to the growth of various molds.
Breathable, water-based products are available in matte, semi-gloss and high gloss finishes that will alter, and perhaps enhance, the appearance of the concrete, whereas many penetrating sealers will virtually disappear into the surface after cure.
Epoxy sealers for garage floors have been in use for years and are often replaced by poly-aspartic sealers that actually bind with the concrete at a molecular level.
Application of these products will include various colored chips for aesthetics and the addition of material to create a limited-slip surface.
For DIY applications, the Guys suggest obtaining products from a local landscape supply or concrete and masonry supply yard.
For application of the more permanent decorative sealers, we direct you to the professionals you can trust every day at insideoutsideguys.com.
Listen to the Inside Outside Guys every Saturday and Sunday on AM 760-WJR from 10 a.m.-noon or contact us at insideoutsideguys.com.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding concrete sealers
Reporting by Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
