Best Sealers for Stain Resistance
Question:
Potential clients often tell me they want concrete countertops, but are afraid they will stain easily. What can I use to improve stain resistance so my clients don’t have to worry about occasional spills?
Answer:
Protecting concrete countertops with the right sealer can help prevent staining. But choosing a sealer from the wide assortment available can be daunting. Often the choice is a delicate balance of aesthetics versus desired performance.
Almost all sealers on the market today are designed for, derived from or simply repackaged versions of floor sealers. The discussion about the needs of a floor sealer versus the needs of a countertop sealer is another topic, but suffice it to say that with careful selection, a good floor sealer can make an excellent countertop sealer. But how do you “carefully” select a sealer? Let’s review the essential steps.
The first is to listen to your clients. Find out what is important to them, and then choose a sealer to match their needs. Based on your clients’ concerns, stain resistance seems to be a top priority. Fortunately, there are sealers out there that can address their needs. However, no sealer is perfect for every application.
And that leads to the next very important step: setting expectations. Every sealer has strengths and weaknesses. It’s your responsibility to know what they are and tell your clients upfront. This way, there are no surprises and no disappointments.
A wide variety of sealers can be used on concrete countertops, from acrylics to urethanes and just about any kind of chemical you can imagine. Many are discussed in detail on CCI’s Concrete Connections website, in the article “Survey of Sealer Options for Concrete Countertops.” The information in this article is intended to help you choose a sealer so you can test it out. Thus the next important step: Whenever using ANY new material, admixture or sealer, understand how it should be used and test it out to verify the results. This added bit of work pays off in extra confidence, fewer troubles or callbacks and happier clients.
Most of the sealers discussed in the article don’t provide the degree of stain resistance required by your clients. By “stain resistance” I’m referring to true staining (discoloration) as well as oil penetration and etching from acids. Not all sealers can resist all of these stains, and some don’t offer any resistance at all. In general, urethanes, epoxies and polyaspartics provide substantial stain and acid resistance. All of these are coatings.
The problem with some coatings, however, is their thickness. Most clients don’t want a thick, plasticky film on their concrete. Arbitrarily thinning a coating to get a very thin film could compromise the finish and leave the concrete vulnerable, often to acid etching. Therefore, taking a high-build epoxy and trying to thin or dilute it will likely lead to failure.
For a stain- and heat-resistant coating that looks natural, I prefer urethanes. Since the coating is thin (often only 5 mils, or just a bit thicker than a piece of copy paper), the tactile quality of the concrete is not lost. Most clients will not even recognize that a coating is on the concrete. They will only know that they don’t have to worry about getting lemon juice or red wine on their countertops.
A widely used and highly effective urethane-based sealing system comes from VSeal (see the article “High Performance Stain-Resistant Sealing System”). It is a system because there are several different components that all work together to provide a durable, high-performance finish that looks good too. The system includes three elements: a surface conditioner, an epoxy primer and a urethane topcoat. The surface conditioner enables a chemical bond between the concrete and the epoxy primer. The primer serves as a bonding agent for the urethane topcoat, but it also provides stain resistance. Urethanes are known for their abrasion resistance, so scuffing and scratching are minimized. Best of all, this system is water-based, so VOCs are very low, cleanup is easy (with soap and water), and the system comes in various sheens: high-gloss, low-gloss and extra-low-gloss. The low-sheen version appeals to clients who want a more natural look without giving up the protection a high-performance coating provides.
Be aware that a three-part system like this takes practice and skill to apply correctly. This is yet another factor that you must weigh in the decision of what sealer to offer your clients. There is no one best sealer for every concrete countertop professional or for every client. But every concrete countertop professional should understand the products they are using and address the expectations of every client.
Potential clients often tell me they want concrete countertops, but are afraid they will stain easily. What can I use to improve stain resistance so my clients don’t have to worry about occasional spills?
Answer:
Protecting concrete countertops with the right sealer can help prevent staining. But choosing a sealer from the wide assortment available can be daunting. Often the choice is a delicate balance of aesthetics versus desired performance.
Almost all sealers on the market today are designed for, derived from or simply repackaged versions of floor sealers. The discussion about the needs of a floor sealer versus the needs of a countertop sealer is another topic, but suffice it to say that with careful selection, a good floor sealer can make an excellent countertop sealer. But how do you “carefully” select a sealer? Let’s review the essential steps.
The first is to listen to your clients. Find out what is important to them, and then choose a sealer to match their needs. Based on your clients’ concerns, stain resistance seems to be a top priority. Fortunately, there are sealers out there that can address their needs. However, no sealer is perfect for every application.
And that leads to the next very important step: setting expectations. Every sealer has strengths and weaknesses. It’s your responsibility to know what they are and tell your clients upfront. This way, there are no surprises and no disappointments.
A wide variety of sealers can be used on concrete countertops, from acrylics to urethanes and just about any kind of chemical you can imagine. Many are discussed in detail on CCI’s Concrete Connections website, in the article “Survey of Sealer Options for Concrete Countertops.” The information in this article is intended to help you choose a sealer so you can test it out. Thus the next important step: Whenever using ANY new material, admixture or sealer, understand how it should be used and test it out to verify the results. This added bit of work pays off in extra confidence, fewer troubles or callbacks and happier clients.
Most of the sealers discussed in the article don’t provide the degree of stain resistance required by your clients. By “stain resistance” I’m referring to true staining (discoloration) as well as oil penetration and etching from acids. Not all sealers can resist all of these stains, and some don’t offer any resistance at all. In general, urethanes, epoxies and polyaspartics provide substantial stain and acid resistance. All of these are coatings.
The problem with some coatings, however, is their thickness. Most clients don’t want a thick, plasticky film on their concrete. Arbitrarily thinning a coating to get a very thin film could compromise the finish and leave the concrete vulnerable, often to acid etching. Therefore, taking a high-build epoxy and trying to thin or dilute it will likely lead to failure.
For a stain- and heat-resistant coating that looks natural, I prefer urethanes. Since the coating is thin (often only 5 mils, or just a bit thicker than a piece of copy paper), the tactile quality of the concrete is not lost. Most clients will not even recognize that a coating is on the concrete. They will only know that they don’t have to worry about getting lemon juice or red wine on their countertops.
A widely used and highly effective urethane-based sealing system comes from VSeal (see the article “High Performance Stain-Resistant Sealing System”). It is a system because there are several different components that all work together to provide a durable, high-performance finish that looks good too. The system includes three elements: a surface conditioner, an epoxy primer and a urethane topcoat. The surface conditioner enables a chemical bond between the concrete and the epoxy primer. The primer serves as a bonding agent for the urethane topcoat, but it also provides stain resistance. Urethanes are known for their abrasion resistance, so scuffing and scratching are minimized. Best of all, this system is water-based, so VOCs are very low, cleanup is easy (with soap and water), and the system comes in various sheens: high-gloss, low-gloss and extra-low-gloss. The low-sheen version appeals to clients who want a more natural look without giving up the protection a high-performance coating provides.
Be aware that a three-part system like this takes practice and skill to apply correctly. This is yet another factor that you must weigh in the decision of what sealer to offer your clients. There is no one best sealer for every concrete countertop professional or for every client. But every concrete countertop professional should understand the products they are using and address the expectations of every client.
posted by Jeff Girard
at
1:37 PM
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