Sealer for power floated finished floor surface

[mvincentd]

Anyone with actual experience of a specific product and it's final aesthetic appearance ?

Most blurb seems to describe sealers at a functional level but don't support that with much info or illustration of the final aesthetic.....fine for in the garage but i'd like to be a little more sure in the house.  Clearly some test patches make sense but if anyone can narrow the field down a bit i'd be grateful.

 

I'm looking to make a power floated structural slab (but has some areas that have had light diamond grinding) resilient to domestic spills and stains, without particularly altering the natural appearance of the concrete, and keeping it towards matt rather than shiny.....and not using a topical sealer that needs re-doing every year or so.

 

I believe I need a penetrating sealer and possibly a siliconate one would be a good option at a practical level ....Siliconates – This sealer has medium-sized particles that form an internal cross-linked membrane which greatly reduces porosity. It provides excellent water and oil resistance, has a long life span and doesn’t enhance color.

 

.....or maybe a Hybrid – These sealers are combinations of penetrating sealers and/or other resins (acrylic) designed to provide a specific type of protection or substrate enhancement. A common hybrid would be a silane/siloxane blend to take advantage of the properties of both materials. Penetrating sealers that enhance color are usually blends of penetrating molecules and resins like acrylic.

 

Anyone used anything?

 

[lizzie]

11 hours ago, mvincentd said:

Anyone with actual experience of a specific product and it's final aesthetic appearance ?

Most blurb seems to describe sealers at a functional level but don't support that with much info or illustration of the final aesthetic.....fine for in the garage but i'd like to be a little more sure in the house.  Clearly some test patches make sense but if anyone can narrow the field down a bit i'd be grateful.

 

I'm looking to make a power floated structural slab (but has some areas that have had light diamond grinding) resilient to domestic spills and stains, without particularly altering the natural appearance of the concrete, and keeping it towards matt rather than shiny.....and not using a topical sealer that needs re-doing every year or so.

 

I believe I need a penetrating sealer and possibly a siliconate one would be a good option at a practical level ....Siliconates – This sealer has medium-sized particles that form an internal cross-linked membrane which greatly reduces porosity. It provides excellent water and oil resistance, has a long life span and doesn’t enhance color.

 

.....or maybe a Hybrid – These sealers are combinations of penetrating sealers and/or other resins (acrylic) designed to provide a specific type of protection or substrate enhancement. A common hybrid would be a silane/siloxane blend to take advantage of the properties of both materials. Penetrating sealers that enhance color are usually blends of penetrating molecules and resins like acrylic.

 

Anyone used anything?

 

When I lived in East Africa we had polished concrete floors from necessity not style.  For years I had one particular housekeeper who used to use a mixture of what appeared to be some sort of oil or resin mixed with what looked like beeswax, it was a bit like old fashioned liquid polish in consistency.  This formed a durable stain proof, water proof layer on the concrete and it withstood the daily rigours well. Was mopped every day too. He used to recoat bits as and when. We didnt have access to commercial or artificial products then so had to use what we could make ourselves. I wish I had that recipe of his because it was a brilliant product, the best concrete floor finish I have seen. I could be a millionaire now if I had brought the knowledge home and gone into production with it.

 

 

[mvincentd]

heh...sadly i won't have a housekeeper so i'll keep looking for a more low maintenance solution Lizzie