The best concrete sealer for your driveway will depend on what you currently have down for a driveway sealer, what you want your driveway to look like once sealed, and what you need the sealer to offer in terms of performance.

Unsealed Driveways

If your driveaway is currently unsealed, you can choose the sealer based off of what you want your driveway to look like once sealed, and how you want the sealer to perform.

Concrete Driveway Appearance:

• No change in appearance – If your driveway is currently unsealed and you want to maintain the natural, unsealed look of the concrete, you want a penetrating sealer. There are two primary categories of penetrating sealers but the most popular for driveway applications is a Silane-Siloxane water repellent. Water repellent sealers, like the Armor SX5000 WB, chemically react below the surface to form a hydrophobic barrier within the pores. The invisible barrier will reduce the absorption of water and other liquids on the surface, reducing damage and deterioration caused by water absorption such as cracking, spalling, pitting, and staining. The second type of penetrating sealer is a concrete densifier and surface hardener. The only time you would want to use this sealer is if you needed to increase the strength and density of the concrete. If you don’t have weak or deteriorating concrete, skip the densifier and go right to using the water repellent.
• Wet look or high gloss – If your driveway is currently unsealed and you want a wet look or high gloss finish, then you want an acrylic sealer. When it comes to acrylic sealers you can use a water based acrylic or a solvent based acrylic. Water based acrylic sealers will provide a gloss look without darkening the surface to make it look wet, while solvent based acrylic sealers will darken the surface to make it look wet and provide a gloss. Solvent based acrylic sealers are more popular simply because they are very easy to apply, repair, and maintain. If you are looking for a water based sealer, the Armor WB15 will provide a low gloss and the Armor WB25 will provide a high gloss. If you are looking for a solvent based sealer, the Armor AR350 will provide a low gloss and the Armor AR500 will provide a high gloss.

Concrete Sealer Performance:

All types of concrete sealers will protect the substrate, but what they are capable of protecting against and how they function are very different.

• Penetrating driveway sealers – Penetrating sealers work entirely below the surface. They don’t change the look or color of the concrete because they don’t leave behind a surface film. They fill in the pores with a hydrophobic barrier that will reduce the movement (i.e. absorption) of water and other liquids on the surface. They will reduce the absorption of liquids by up to 95% for up to 10 years. Staining and deterioration caused by water absorption will be reduced, but not stopped. The surface of the concrete is still exposed so hot tire pickup, oil and gas stains, and other stains are still possible. Regardless, water repellent sealers are still the most popular type of driveway sealer if you are looking for the best protection with the longest life. It may not stop hot tire pickup, or oil and gas stains, but it will significantly reduce cracking, spalling, and pitting caused by water absorption, and will reduce the formation of mold, mildew, and efflorescence. Concrete densifiers are penetrating sealers but they function much differently than water repellents. Concrete densifiers should only be used on weak or deteriorating concrete to increase the strength and density. They offer little to no protection against damage and deterioration caused by water absorption. Some applications will require the use of a densifier and a water repellent, but most applications will just require the use of a water repellent sealer only.
• Acrylic driveway sealers – Acrylic sealers are popular because they enhance the look of the substrate and they protect the substrate. Acrylic sealers penetrate in order to bond, but what makes them different is the film they leave on the surface. Acrylic sealers are designed to protect the surface by taking the abuse. Hot tire pickup will stick to the coating instead of the substrate, stains will sit on the surface of the coating instead of being absorbed into the substrate, surface abrasion will eat away at the coating instead of the substrate, and so forth. The downfall to acrylic sealers is you need to recoat the surface every 1-3 years. The life of the acrylic will depend on several factors, but the harder the coating needs to work, the faster it will wear away. This is why solvent based acrylic sealers are more popular than water based. With solvent based sealers, you can simply apply down a fresh coat to a clean and dry surface – no other prep or removal required. With water based acrylics you may need to remove the old acrylic, or screen scuff the surface before applying a fresh coat. Further, if an acrylic is damaged or delaminates, it can simply be repaired with Xylene. If a water based acrylic is damaged or delaminates, you will need to screen scuff or remove it, then reapply.

So which type of driveway sealer is best? There really is no right or wrong answer which is why most people will choose a sealer based on what they want their driveway to look like once sealed. Water repellents offer great long term protection and require zero maintenance until it is time to reseal, while acrylic sealers dramatically enhance dull and faded surfaces while proving a few solid years of protection. If you can’t decide, you can always start with a water repellent and if you determine you need more protection, or want to change the look, you can put down an acrylic sealer in a few years. It is much easier to transition from a water repellent to an acrylic, than from an acrylic to a water repellent.

Sealed Driveways

If your driveway is currently sealed you need to make sure that the sealer you reseal your driveway with is compatible with the sealer that is currently down.

• Penetrating concrete sealer or concrete densifier – If you have a concrete densifier down, you can reseal with a penetrating sealer or an acrylic sealer. Before sealing the surface however you should run a quick absorption test with water to make sure liquids can easily be absorbed into the concrete. If water beads on the surface, or takes a while to absorb into the surface, you should contact a technician about what they suggest. Same goes for if you have a water repellent sealer down. If you have a water repellent sealer down and the surface no longer beads, most of the time you can reseal with a solvent based acrylic or a solvent based sealer. If however you attempt to put a water based acrylic or sealer over a surface previously sealed with a water repellent, it can repel the water based acrylic or sealer, preventing it from being able to penetrate or bond. Unless it has been years since the sealer was applied, it is always best to talk to a technician before applying a new product.
• Water based acrylic – If you currently have a water based acrylic sealer down, you want to reseal with a water based acrylic sealer. If you are thinking of switching from a water based to a solvent based, you will need to remove the current acrylic from the surface and the pores. If this is something you are considering, you should contact a technician so they can walk you through how to appropriately transition. They may also advice against it depending on the type of sealer you have down, and how long it has been sealed.
• Solvent based acrylic – If you currently have a solvent based acrylic sealer down, you want to reseal with a solvent based acrylic sealer. If you are thinking of switching from a solvent based to a water based, you will need to remove the current acrylic from the surface and the pores. If this is something you are considering, you should contact a technician so they can walk you through how to appropriately transition They may also advice against it depending on the type of sealer you have down, and how long it has been sealed.

Now, we have discussed sealers in general, but not all sealers are appropriate for all substrates.

• Concrete, Concrete Pavers – If your driveway is made of concrete or concrete pavers, the above advice applied. You are free to choose which sealer you want to apply.
• Chicago or Clay Brick, Slate, or Natural Stone – If your driveway is made of Chicago or clay bricks, slate, or natural stone, you are more limited to what you can use. Typically for these types of applications you would use a penetrating sealer and not an acrylic sealer. Penetrating sealers are great for all unsealed masonry surfaces, but acrylic sealers function best when applied to concrete or pavers. Chicago and clay brick, slate, and natural stone are naturally more porous, and allow for large amounts of sub surface moisture to pass through them. The moisture will build up below the acrylic and eventually cause it to delaminate. If you want a penetrating sealer but also want to darken the surface, the Armor WL550 is a great alternative to acrylic sealers. You won’t get a gloss or a shine, but you will get a lasting enhancement.