Acrylic concrete sealers are concrete sealers that bond to the surface of the concrete, and enhance it with a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish. The visible film left on the surface is designed to enhance and protect interior and exterior concrete, stamped concrete, aggregate concrete, brick and paver surfaces. While all acrylic sealers fall under the same sealer category, there are vast differences between not only the types, but the products as well.
- Acrylic Lacquer Sealers: Acrylic lacquer sealers are pure acrylic sealers that don’t contain styrene, or any other additives.
- Acrylic Co-Polymer Sealers: Acrylic co-polymer sealers have styrene mixed in with the acrylic. They are commonly classified as a cure and seal because the styrene helps the acrylic to resist moisture during the initial curing phase.
- Enhanced Acrylic Sealers: Enhanced acrylic sealers are combination sealers, or sealers that contain both a sealer and an acrylic. Take for example the Armor AX25, it is a Siloxane water repellent infused acrylic co-polymer sealer. It offers superior water repellency and can also be used to seal both cured and uncured concrete.
- Acrylic Latex Sealers: Acrylic latex sealers should not be considered acrylic sealers at all. Acrylic latex sealers contain latex and latex is a paint. Acrylic latex sealers don’t last long and they are extremely difficult to repair and maintain.
- Water Based Acrylic Sealers: Water based acrylic sealers are acrylic sealers suspended in water.
- Solvent Based Acrylic Sealers: Solvent based acrylic sealers are acrylic sealers suspended in solvent.
Certain acrylic sealers are designed for specific applications and when using those sealers for the applications they are designed for, you will reach optimum life and performance.
Not all acrylic concrete sealers are the same. For example, one company’s acrylic lacquer sealer can vary greatly from another company’s acrylic lacquer sealer. There are a few differences to consider when choosing an acrylic concrete sealer:
- Resins: Some acrylic sealers are manufactured in the U.S.A from non-recycled resins while others are imported and made from recycled resins. The problem with recycled resins is that they still contain chemicals used in the recycling process. These chemicals are known to cause the product to break down faster and weaken the benefits. U.S. manufactured non recycled resin sealers will outlast imported recycled resin sealers.
- Percent Solids: This will vary from 15%-30% depending on the manufacturer. Typically, 15% solids acrylic sealers are low gloss sealers and 25-30% solids acrylic sealers are high gloss. The lower the solids, the more breathable the acrylic. The higher solids, the less breathable the acrylic is. 15% solids solutions are popular on dense concrete surfaces, or concrete surfaces that are required to breathe while higher solids solutions are popular on porous concrete, or concrete where a high gloss finish is preferred. The two most popular formulations are 15% solids and 25% solids. Once you start getting up into 30% solids you can run into issues with delamination and coating failure because the breathability is dramatically reduced.
The Difference Between Water Based and Solvent Based Acrylic Sealers
Water based and solvent based acrylic sealers are both equally beneficial sealers to use, but they differ greatly in application, appearance, and maintenance.
| Water Based Acrylic Sealer | Solvent Based Acrylic Sealer |
| Won’t darken surface | Darkens surface to give a wet look |
| Needs to be screen sanded before recoating | No additional prep required to recoat |
| Peeling acrylic needs to be removed | Peeling acrylic can be fixed with Xylene |
| No VOC | Low VOC |
Benefits of Using an Acrylic Sealer
If you don’t want to change the look of the concrete then you want to use a Silane Siloxane sealer. If you want to change or enhance the look of the concrete, then you want an acrylic sealer. There are many benefits to using an acrylic sealer, including:
- Acrylic concrete sealers will enhance the look of the concrete with a wet look, low gloss, or high gloss finish.
- Acrylic concrete sealers can be applied in clear, or color options.
- Acrylic concrete sealers will protect the surface of the concrete against staining and deterioration caused by water absorption.
- Acrylic concrete sealers will protect the surface of the concrete against deterioration caused by water absorption.
- Acrylic concrete sealers will protect the concrete against hot tire pickup and UV rays.
Acrylic Sealer Reviews
For reviews on the best types of acrylic sealers, visit ConcreteSealerReviews.org.
How to Apply an Acrylic Concrete Sealer
