Appearance of Sealed Concrete Driveways

Appearance
What do you want your driveway to look like after it's sealed, in terms of gloss level and color enhancement? Like paints, driveway sealers come in many gloss levels, including no-gloss, matte, satin, semi-gloss, gloss and high-gloss. Sealer manufacturers use a standardized test to measure gloss on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest level of gloss (see the table below). Most sealer manufactures provide this gloss level measurement on the product packaging and in the technical data sheets. But to be sure you are getting the level of gloss you want, it's best to test the sealer in an inconspicuous area of your driveway. (See What Type of Finish and Surface Appearance Do You Want to Achieve?)

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Sealer Type Gloss Level Finish
Solvent based 80 -100 Glossy to high gloss
Water based 50 – 80 Matte to semi-gloss
Penetrating sealer 0 No gloss

In terms of color, solvent-based film-forming sealers tend to darken or enhance the color of the concrete more than water-based sealers. Sealers with a higher solids content will also result in more darkening or color enhancement, giving the surface that wet look some people find desirable. The higher the solids content of a sealer, the higher the level of gloss. For example, an 18% solids content usually provides a semi-gloss finish while a 30% solids content will impart a high gloss. Penetrating sealers do nothing to change or enhance the color of the concrete.

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