Webfoot Concrete Coatings Vs. Acrylic Sealers

Acrylic sealers are often the go-to choice for many DIYers, but are they the best option for your floors? This blog takes an in-depth look at Webfoot concrete coatings vs. acrylic sealers. Let’s see which is best for your floors, shall we?

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What Are Acrylic Sealers?

Acrylic sealers are synthetic water- or solvent-based coatings made from acrylic resin. They are great for sealing gaps, joints, and foundation cracks in buildings and are also essential for aluminum and iron joinery. 

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When applied to concrete floors, acrylic sealers protect against moisture, UV radiation, insects, chemicals, and mold, while greatly improving the aesthetics of the surface. 

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How Are They Applied?

Before applying acrylic sealers, there are a few steps to be taken.

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1. Wash your floor thoroughly and ensure it is free of dirt, chemicals, mold, and other substances. Allow it to dry for 24 hours. 

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2. Check if an acrylic sealer has already been applied to the surface. If this is not the case, you are good to go. If it is, you can either make sure the sealer matches the type of sealer you want to apply (In other words, use water-based sealers for surfaces with water-based sealers and solvent-based sealers for surfaces with solvent-based sealers). Another option is to remove existing sealants with an etching solution. Both methods prevent the acrylic sealant from cracking and ensure that it can cure and function optimally.

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3. Choose the application tool to use. Depending on your experience, preferences, or the size of the area to be sealed, you can use airless or pump sprayers, nap rollers, trim pads, or floor coaters. Make sure to apply only two thin coats of acrylic sealer per surface for the best results. More than that will result in a thick coat that is inconsistent and tacky. 

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Acrylic Sealers?

Let’s look at the pros and drawbacks of acrylic sealers to help you understand them better.

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Pros

Good looking finish. 

Acrylic sealers can transform any surface's appearance, leaving it glossy and beautiful. Water-based sealers are specifically formulated to achieve a dark, matte finish.

Increased durability. 

Spray-on acrylic sealers significantly extend the life of concrete surfaces by protecting them from moisture, temperature, chemicals, mold, and UV rays.

Stain resistance.

Acrylic sealers are designed to prevent dirt from adhering to the surfaces to which they are applied. A piece of cloth is usually all that is required to clean a sealed concrete surface.

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Cons

Not Temperature Tolerant

Most acrylic sealers do not cure properly when applied in cold weather (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit), often resulting in aesthetic flaws such as white dusting and hazing. Sometimes, they freeze, making them useless in cold weather.

Not Abrasion-resistant

Although they protect against water and chemical penetration, acrylic sealers wear faster than epoxy and polyurea coatings because they lack abrasion resistance. In high traffic areas, they scratch easily resulting in an unclean look after a short time.

High-Maintenance

Sealers need regular maintenance every 1-5 years because they’re susceptible to wear (scratching and marking) from regular use. This translates to additional costs.

Strong Odor

Some acrylic sealers emit a strong and unpleasant odor shortly after application. This is the result of sealers having high Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are dangerous to yourself, your family, pets, plants, and anyone in the area during application.

High Cost

Sealing is not cheap and usually does not come with much - if any - warranty. 

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Webfoot's Polyurea Coatings

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What is Polyurea?

Polyurea is a synthetic product made by combining aromatic or aliphatic isocyanates with various resin blends. Polyurea coatings protect concrete, wood, and steel surfaces, outperforming acrylic sealers, epoxy, and other concrete coatings for several reasons.

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Pros & Cons of Polyurea

The advantages of polyurea coatings are numerous, but some “problems” come up in conversation when considering polyurea. In reality, many of these “problems” are just a misunderstanding of polyurea as a product and tool. Let’s consider the 7 common “problems” with polyurea:

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Polyurea Installation Process

Installing polyurea may appear easy, but it requires a high level of experience and expertise. At Webfoot, our polyurea coating application process involves:

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• Grinding down your existing concrete and cleaning the surface 
• Filling and repairing any cracks, abrasions, spalling, pitted, or damaged areas 
• Applying the workhorse pure polyurea basecoat
• Broadcasting a FLAKE chip system
• Finishing off with a fast-curing polyaspartic polyurea topcoat

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The result is a strong, beautifully-finished floor ready for traffic in the next 24 hours! 

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How Are WCC Coatings Better Than Sealers?

In summary, Webfoot concrete coatings differ significantly from acrylic sealers because they offer several advantages. The top three benefits are:

Lifetime Warranty

We’re confident that our product will last, so your new floor is warrantied for as long as you live in your home. 

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Professional Installation

The longevity and overall performance of your coating are determined by the quality and technique of the installation. Fortunately, Webfoot offers top-notch installation services by trained and experienced teams.

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High-Performance Product

Our multi-layered pure polyurea coatings outperform other popular industry products, like epoxy or 2-layered polyaspartics. 

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More About Polyurea Concrete Coatings

Problems with Polyurea Floor Coatings

Webfoot’s product is a pure (100%) polyurea concrete coating that we get directly from the manufacturer, Penntek Industrial Coatings. As a pure polyurea, it differs from competitors who offer polyaspartics and other watered-down polyurea blends. Our pure polyurea is the strongest and most durable form of polyurea. Webfoot is Addressing 7 Problems with Polyurea Floor Coatings so you can feel confident when you choose our multi-layered pure polyurea system.

Polyurea Garage Floor Coatings

In comparison to epoxy systems, there are many reasons that polyurea comes out on top. Explore the comparison of Garage Floor Epoxy vs. Polyurea Garage Floor Coatings to understand what makes polyurea the right choice for your floor.

Polyurea Floor Coating Installation

Professional concrete coatings deliver professional results. We’re supporters of a good DIY project, but when it comes to concrete coatings we make it look easy because we’ve mastered the art. We’ll resurface your floor following a 5-part process: grinding, mending, basecoat application, chip system broadcasting (optional), and topcoat application. And we’ll do it all in one-day.

Polyurea Concrete Coating Cost

Polyurea concrete coatings are a great choice if you are willing to invest more money upfront for a type of coating that will last long-term. The overall total cost of your project will vary based on the 5 Cost Factors of a Concrete Coating Project.

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