Why does my concrete need sealed?

The advantages to sealing concrete are many.  Pressure washing and sealing concrete is essential to make it last longer.  Water seeps into cracks in the concrete and then freezes breaking the concrete. In Oregon algae often grows on concrete creating dangerously slippery walking surfaces and deteriorating the concrete.  When we seal your concrete:

• It will preserve the concrete's uniform appearance.  Unprotected concrete gets worn at drip lines of your house, and where water runs down and gives the concrete a non-uniform look. 
• It will harden the concrete.  When we seal your concrete with the sealer that we use it will actually harden your concrete.  It penetrates 2-4 inches and will keep the concrete dust and fines in the concrete rather than being eroded by water and washed away. 
• It will prevent the small rocks from coming out of aggregate concrete.  
• It will preserve the color of the concrete.  Concrete changes color when aggregate or fines are lost.  Sealing it prevents that.  Often concrete can also get rust, oil or acid stains.  Sealing it will minimize staining. 
• Because the density of the concrete is actually greater after applying the sealer it will be harder for moss and algae to grow. 
• It will help prevent cracking. The sealer hardens the concrete to help prevent cracking.

What is the best sealer?

There are three types of concrete sealers, acrylic, silicas/silicates and polyester.    Acrylic sealers last 1-2 years and silicas/silicates sealers last anywhere from 3-5 years.  We use a penetrating polyester sealer that lasts ten years.  These other sealers don't penetrate into the concrete--they just sit as a top coat on top of the concrete often causing it to be slippery.  They don't help prevent the concrete from cracking or increase the density of the concrete.  

Not only do we seal concrete, we can clean or stain it to your liking.  Check out the before and after pictures of the difference a deep-wash, stain, or seal can make on your concrete: 

Applying a stain remover on this driveway gives it a completely different look!

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Using a special algae cleaner really makes a difference on this wall.

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Often you can see white stains on masonry.  This is called efflorescence and results from the salts in the masonry coming to the surface.  Here are before and after pictures of first applying a special efflorescence remover and then applying a sealer to ensure that the salts do not return. 

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As part of the sealing process we can stain masonry or cement to add to the attractiveness and make it match surroundings.  Take a look at the difference the stain makes on these concrete pavers:

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With color the possibilities are endless! Here is a backyard pool that that has a bright ocean blue on the sidewalk around it.  

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