How to Maintain Your Sealed Concrete Surfaces

How to Maintain Your Sealed Concrete Surfaces

Concrete sealing provides Frisco, TX, homeowners with an ideal solution to keeping concrete surfaces intact and durable. However, regular maintenance ensures your sealer lasts as long as possible.

If you maintain your concrete floor properly, you will never have to re-seal the surface or apply a second coat.

This article will take a closer look at concrete sealing, sharing its benefits and how to clean and maintain your sealed concrete surfaces.

Types of Concrete Sealers

When searching for a concrete sealer, there are two types to choose from: penetrating sealers and surface coating sealers.

Penetrating concrete sealers work by filling the pores of your concrete floors to prevent pollutants like oil or grease from penetrating the surface. They are perfect if you wish to protect your concrete floor while retaining its natural color and finish.

On top of filling your concrete’s pores, surface coating sealers also coat the surface with a layer of sealer. This layer sits on the surface, providing superior protection while enhancing its appearance.

Advantages of Sealing Your Concrete

Concrete sealing does more than protect your concrete surfaces from stains and marks. It also offers additional benefits, such as:

  • Enhances the appearance of your concrete surfaces – Concrete sealers help your floors look stunning all year.
  • Protects your floors from harsh conditions – The added layer of protection helps your concrete surfaces withstand harsh conditions better.
  • Prevents mold and algae growth – Sealing your concrete inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and algae.
  • Prevents damage – With pollutants unable to penetrate the surface, you can keep your concrete floors safe from damage.
  • Creates durable surface – The barrier the sealer creates makes your concrete floors more durable.

Maintaining Your Concrete Sealing

By creating a barrier that prevents stains from sipping into the surface, polyurethane sealers are extremely easy to maintain. However, it is vital to understand how to best care for your sealed concrete surfaces.

Here’s a detailed guide to help you successfully maintain your concrete-sealed floors. 

Regularly Clean Your Floors

Routinely vacuum your floors with a quality dry vacuum. The vacuum will gently lift dirt, dust, and debris off your floor, leaving it clean and dry. While dust mops are ideal for quick cleaning, they cannot eliminate all the dust and dirt as efficiently as a vacuum.

Also, avoid using beater brush attachments because they can scratch the surface, ruining your sealer’s integrity. Instead, only use horsehair brush attachments.

Clean Up Spills as Soon as Possible

Concrete sealers are excellent at repelling spills, preventing your floors from absorbing them. However, leaving spills to sit for too long can result in sealer degradation and staining.

Ensure you clean any spills as soon as possible to prevent them from sipping into the surface and ruining your sealer.

Use the Right Cleaner

Avoid using harsh cleaners and detergents when mopping concrete floors that have a sealed surface. Mopping the floors with cleaners that are too alkaline or acidic can dull or even strip the finish off your sealed floors. Instead, pick a cleaner with a pH of between 6.5 and 7.0.

Remember to also pay attention to your cleaner’s dilution rate. Most neutral cleaners are highly concentrated and only need one ounce of cleaner for every gallon of fresh water.

Using too much cleaner will leave your floors with a haze or film that could ruin their shine.

Ensure that you monitor your cleaning solution’s dry time as well. Always work with a cleaner that provides you with enough time to remove dirt and grime from the surface.

Finally, after mopping the floor, don’t forget to rinse it with clean water to remove the leftover cleaner residue.

Avoid Mopping with Plain Water

Though some homeowners often mop their concrete-sealed floors with plain water, this is never ideal. In most cases, the minerals and additives plain water contains will leave your concrete sealing with a hazy film.

Fortunately, a pH-neutral cleaner will neutralize these substances, leaving your floor cleaner and shinier.

Avoid Using Steam Mops

Do not use a steam mop on concrete-sealed surfaces. The steam from the mop could cause moisture to get trapped under the sealer, causing white spots to appear all over the floor.

You should also avoid using mops with a cleaner dispensing system. Such mops can’t get your floors wet enough to effectively eliminate the dirt and grime. Instead, they rely on their cleaning solvents to dissolve the dirt.

Unfortunately, these solvents can strip your concrete sealing and destroy its finish in the process.

Instead, stick with a standard string mop, which you can wring in a bucket. These mops are excellent at scrubbing the floor and removing dirt without damaging your sealed surfaces.

Quality Concrete Sealing in Frisco, TX

Every homeowner wants concrete floors that will stand the test of time, and that starts with applying a protective coating. Our professional installers can restore your concrete with high-quality coating solutions, enabling you to enjoy durable, damage-free floors for years.

At LS Concrete Coatings, we have a highly skilled team ready to offer customizable sealing solutions that will keep your floors looking their best.

Trust the Concrete Experts

Are you looking for a concrete sealing company in Frisco, TX, that can offer quality services you can rely on? Contact LS Concrete Coatings today at (469) 604-6802 for your free estimate on the best concrete sealing services in Frisco, TX.