Concrete Sealing in Carmel, IN
We seal concrete driveways, walks, patios and steps at homes across Carmel, Indiana.
- Quotes in writing
- 15 areas covered
Carmel Concrete Pros seals concrete driveways, walks, patios and steps for homes across Carmel. We look at your concrete first, tell you whether it's ready to seal or needs repair work first, and write you a quote before any work starts.
What a sealer does for your concrete
We call it a sealer when we put a clear liquid on concrete to slow down how much water and salt soak into it. We use the word deicers for the salts and liquids people spread to melt ice. The Federal Highway Administration says it has long been known that deicers make the damage that freezing and thawing does to concrete worse.
We call it scaling when the top layer of a slab flakes or peels away and leaves a rough patch. The Federal Highway Administration says that until recently, the most common damage from deicers on flat concrete such as slabs has been surface scaling.
The two kinds of sealer we use
The penetrating sealer we use soaks into the concrete and leaves the top looking much as it did before. The topcoat sealer we use leaves a thin clear layer on top, which can make the concrete look darker and a bit wet. On stamped concrete, we show you both on a small patch first, since a topcoat changes how the colors look.
The same agency says research has suggested that certain penetrating sealants, put straight onto concrete joints, may form a barrier against deicers and offer some protection. It says lab studies and field tests are under way to find out how well this works.
Getting the concrete ready
We clean the concrete before we seal it, and we let it dry so the sealer can soak in. We call the straight grooves cut across a slab its joints, and we cut them to give the concrete a planned place to crack. The Federal Highway Administration says a joint with a seal that still works greatly cuts how much salty water gets in, so very little extra water soaks the concrete there. So we clean out and fill open joints and cracks before the sealer goes on. If a section is broken or sunk, we quote concrete repair or concrete leveling first.
What to get in writing
Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:
- Which areas will be sealed, and which will not.
- Which kind of sealer goes on, and whether it will change how the concrete looks.
- What cleaning and crack repair happen before the sealer goes on.
- How long to keep people, pets and cars off it.
- When the concrete should be sealed again.
Questions about concrete sealing in Carmel
Is concrete sealer the same as the black sealcoat on asphalt driveways?
No, the sealers we put on concrete are clear. The U.S. Geological Survey says sealcoat is the thick black liquid put on many asphalt parking lots, driveways and playgrounds to protect the asphalt and make it look better. It says coal-tar-based sealcoat is more common east of the Continental Divide, and that it is a strong source of pollution in cities and suburbs.
Can you seal my garage floor?
Yes, we can seal a garage floor. Before we start, we read the sealer's label with you. The EPA says that if a label says to use a product in a well-ventilated area, you should go outdoors or to an area with an exhaust fan, or else open up windows to let in as much outdoor air as you can. So we keep the garage door open while we work.
What should I spread on sealed concrete in winter?
The Federal Highway Administration says concerns have been raised about harmful effects on concrete from certain deicers, most notably magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. When we finish sealing, we go through what to spread on your concrete in winter and what to keep off it.
Will sealer make my old concrete look new?
We tell you before we start that a clear sealer won't hide stains, cracks or patches of a different shade, and that a topcoat can make them stand out more. If an even look matters to you, we can talk about replacing the driveway or a larger area instead.
Should I seal a new driveway?
We tell you when your new concrete is ready for sealer, and we write that date on your quote. If we pour your new driveway, we can quote the sealing at the same time.
Can you seal the sidewalk in front of my house too?
Yes, we can seal the walk out front along with your driveway. The City of Carmel says sidewalk maintenance is the property owner's responsibility. It says its Street Department looks after the sidewalks around the outside of subdivisions and the ones along City streets.
How much does concrete sealing cost?
We price your sealing once we've looked at it, and you get that quote in writing. We base it on how much concrete needs sealing, what cleaning and crack repair it needs first, and which sealer you pick.
Get a quote for concrete sealing
Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you want sealed. We'll look at the concrete, go through the sealer options with you, and give you a written quote. To see the other work we do, go to the Carmel Concrete Pros home page.
Ready to talk about your concrete job?
Send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.