What is the best silane siloxane sealer? Top silane siloxane sealer brands, based on reviews, includes Foundation Armor, Eagle, UGL, Rest-Oleum, and Drylok. There are dozens of other silane siloxane sealers on the market, with equally as many good reviews. In this article however, I want to dive into what makes a silane siloxane sealer a good one, and how you can research a product to determine which silane siloxane sealer is best for your application.
First, and I will stress this in just about every article, the best way to determine if a product is best for your application is to apply the product to your actual substrate. Most brands will offer small, sample size products that you can use to apply to your concrete, brick, pavers, or natural stone. Every substrate is different and will vary in age and porosity. In addition to those factors, the surface will vary in environment and use. Applying the product you are considering to your substrate will give you the best representation of how the product will perform.
Silane siloxane sealers vary greatly from one manufacturer to the next. While they both contain a silane component and a siloxane component, the amount of silane sealer and amount of siloxane sealer will vary from one manufacturer to the next. It is the proprietary, and unlisted, formula that sets one manufacturer apart from the next. So, if this information is proprietary, and isn’t published, how can you tell which silane siloxane sealer is best? Well, there are a few things you want to consider:
- Resins: Some manufacturers use recycled, imported resins and others use non-recycled resins. While recycling is typically viewed as good, in the case of sealers, it is not. If a sealer uses recycled resins, the formula contains a lot of gunk that actually negatively impacts life and performance.
- Customer Support: This should always play an important role in every buying decision. If you want know if a company stands by their products, and whether or not your project’s success is important to them, give them a call. Within the first couple of minutes you will be able to tell if you chose a good company.
- Information: This varies greatly from one manufacturer to the next. Most issues that arise from sealers are from application errors and compatibility issues. Having a full understanding of the product, what it can and can’t be used for, and how to apply it, will ultimately help to contribute to your project’s success. Check in to see if the company has taken the time to really give you an understanding of the product, what is should be used for, and how to apply it. A company that truly wants you to succeed in your project, will give you all of the information your project needs to be successful.
- Samples: As mentioned above, this is the absolute best way to see how a product will perform on your application.
- Warranties: Sealers aren’t like refrigerators. With refrigerators, and other electronics, they are designed to work a very specific way and there is a very small amount of issues that can arise, and will arise under very specific circumstances. Easy to prove, easy to repair, easy to replace. With sealers however, there are an endless amount of factors that can play into sealer life and performance. If you are being drawn in by a warranty, make sure you read the fine print. I think you will find that it is very hard to prove your case because there is no way to prove that you applied the correct amount of material to your substrate, based on your substrate’s specific porosity. You can’t prove that you correctly applied the product based on your substrate’s location and specific needs. In the sealer industry, paint industry, and chemical industry in general, you won’t find many warranties. This isn’t because companies don’t stand behind their product, it is because they don’t want to mislead their customers knowing there are so many factors to take into consideration. So, if you are purchasing a product because it comes with a warranty, make sure you connect to the company and make sure they are an honest company, offering an honest product, and are providing an honest warranty.
Top brands don’t always hit the mark on all of the above, and you will find once you start looking into products and companies that they vary greatly. Your needs as a customer will vary greatly too which is why it is always important to research the product, read the reviews, and reach out to the company.
