What Is a Surface Sealer?
A surface sealer is a coating used to strengthen a surface.
It is generally applied to concrete floor surfaces. For example, the floor surfaces of factories and warehouses where large trucks and forklifts are frequently used are subject to severe wear and tear due to the repetitive rolling of the trucks’ and forklifts’ tires. Our role is to protect the floor surfaces in these situations.
In our daily lives, they are sometimes used for floor surfaces in multi-story parking lots of large commercial facilities. A surface sealer is applied to such floor surfaces where the tires make a squealing sound when you drive on them.
Applications of Surface Sealers
A surface sealer is mainly applied to the floor surfaces of factories and their associated warehouses, distribution centers, and other warehouses. Surface Sealer prevents the floor from being scratched and roughened by forklifts and other industrial equipment.
In addition, surface strengtheners are also used on the floors of machinery rooms and other areas in factories. Surface Sealers can be used to coat concrete floors to make them dust-proof, preventing the generation of dust and other contaminants due to concrete deterioration.
In cities, it is installed in multi-story parking lots and underground parking lots of large commercial facilities. The squeaking sound that you hear when you drive past is due to the surface sealer being applied.
Principle of Surface Sealers
Normally, the surface layer of concrete is porous, with many small holes and grooves on the surface. When a surface sealer is applied to the surface of the concrete, the surface sealer’s reinforcing agent penetrates into the pores of the concrete’s surface layer, and the moisture evaporates outward, sealing the holes in the concrete.
Over time, as water and other impurities are removed, the Surface Sealer hardens and the pores in the concrete are sealed. This reaction of the Surface Sealer with the calcium inside the concrete is the mechanism by which the concrete surface is protected.
Another feature of the surface sealer is that it is strongly bonded to the concrete surface so that it remains present without delamination. The reaction with the concrete continues over time, over a period of two or three years, and becomes an integral part of the concrete. The result is a stronger surface reinforcement with a semi-permanent effect.
Characteristics of Surface Sealers
Surface sealers have three main characteristics:
1. Improved Durability
Surface sealers are applied to protect concrete floors. A surface sealer can be applied to concrete to improve and strengthen the abrasion resistance of the floor surface.
Abrasion resistance can be increased two to three times compared to concrete. Surface Sealers strengthen the surface layer of concrete, improving its resistance to abrasion and preventing the surface from deteriorating or becoming rough due to wear.
Dust prevention effect can also be obtained by preventing abraded concrete from becoming dust.
2. Antifouling Effect
The application of a surface sealer is expected to reduce maintenance costs and other expenses by preventing the floor surface from becoming stained. A surface sealer is semi-permanently effective after a single application, and its strength increases with time.
The application of a surface sealer makes the surface uniform, so that dirt is less likely to accumulate in the dents. Dirt adhering to the surface can be easily removed by simply washing with water for cleaning.
3. Anti-Slip Effect
A surface sealer plays a role in increasing the anti-slip effect of the floor surface. Depending on the product, the slip resistance coefficient can be 0.7 or higher on dry surfaces and 0.6 or higher on water + sand surfaces.
In general, a floor is considered being slip-resistant when the coefficient of slip resistance is 0.4 or higher. However, if a surface sealer is applied, it is possible to make the floor sufficiently slip-resistant.