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Seal the Deal: The Importance of following Manufacturer's Guidelines You've finally finished your concrete floor and you’re ready to apply a sealer to protect all of your hard work. But is it really necessary to follow the manufacturers guidelines for application? There are so many of them and it looks like a lot of work. Besides, you’re pretty sure you know what you’re doing. Regardless of the type of flooring or substrate you plan to seal, manufacturers provide product application instructions for a reason. If sealers and other floor coatings are not applied properly, or you use an inappropriate product for your floor surface, you may cause unnecessary damage to the surface as well as waste time and product. Even professionals follow guidelines. So make sure you’ve read and clearly understand the manufacturer’s instructions before proceeding. Most surface coatings won’t stick to a floor that’s dirty, no matter how good the product is. Perform a thorough cleaning of your substrate, clearing it of grease, dirt and oil. Use a concrete cleaner and degreaser with a stiff scrub brush to clean your concrete surface. Don’t forget to use protective gear, including rubber gloves, goggles and face mask to shield against exposure to chemicals in the detergent and work in a ventilated area. Choose a small area of your concrete floor to test your sealer before you begin. As you work the sealer into the surface, make sure the material does not puddle. Even professionals face problems with under-applying and over-applying sealer products--which can cause problems for your substrate--so proceed carefully. Ideally, you want to achieve a uniform, thin coat of sealer across the surface of your concrete. Give the sealer several hours to dry, according to manufacturer’s directions. When done properly, applying sealer to your concrete floor is an important step to protecting and enhancing the look of your substrate. All products will vary slightly, so following instructions is paramount to a successful floor sealer application. SealSource provides helpful application information for all of our high quality lithium-based concrete sealers. For your convenience, you can download them or simply view them online. When your floor looks good, we look good! |
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