Animal Safe Concrete Sealer | Indoor & Outdoor – FAQ Video by CoverTec Products

This is a big application for CoverTec Products’ sealers. Concrete itself is very absorbent, and very porous. If you looked under a microscope, natural concrete looks almost like a sponge.

In a situation where you have animals, the potential for urine stains and pet mess is great. It’s very important to seal off the concrete, especially if you want to eliminate the odor and make the concrete much easier to keep clean going forward.

We recommend two types of sealers. 

One is a penetrating sealer. It goes into the concrete’s pores. It doesn’t really change the appearance of the concrete, but it will repel and resist pet stains, water, moisture, and contaminants getting into the concrete.

The other option is to use a topical sealer. It will put a thin, protective barrier across the top of the concrete and prevent stains, urine, and pet mess from getting into the concrete.

It’s important to have a good strong sealer. Something that has a high polymer content, and that will not absorb and soften over time.

Most concrete sealers are not toxic once they’re dry, once they’re cured.

In their liquid form you need to be a little bit more careful, especially if you’re using solvent based sealers. You’re dealing with fumes, high VOC, and chemicals that can irritate and burn your skin.

Water-based products tend to be more friendly. They have a low VOC so there is less odor and less fumes when they’re in a liquid state. And when dry, they are inert and non-toxic to animals and pets when fully cured.

With that said, always use protective gloves and eyeglasses, and avoid splashes because you are dealing with chemicals.

We recommend using water-based sealers because:

• They have much lower VOCs
• There are no fumes
• They have lower odor than a solvent-based sealer.

You can use either a water-based penetrating sealer or a water-based topical sealer.

The penetrating sealers soak into the concrete, but the very top is open. It doesn’t change the characteristics of the concrete. You really can’t tell it’s there, but it will repel or resist urine, pet stains, and pet mess. It’s very good at holding back the odor you get when the pet mess soaks into the concrete.

You can use a topical sealer. Something like our CoverShield U100. It will put a clear barrier across the surface top. It’s highly resistant to pet stains and chemicals, and does a great job in preventing any odors.

It’s important to note that with a penetrating sealer, because the surface is open, you won’t get any change in characteristics but it’s possible you still can get some staining.

With a topical sealer, you’ve got a barrier across the top of the surface which eliminates the staining. But, having said that, it could be a little bit more slippery than when using a penetrating sealer.

And if you’re worried about slipperiness, you could use an additive – something like a CoverGrip Anti Slip Additive – mixed with the CoverShield U100 for extra slip resistance. 

• It doesn’t change the characteristics of the concrete 
• It doesn’t make it more slippery
• It doesn’t change the color, and…
• It doesn’t change the texture. 

A good quality sealer will bond to a painted surface, but it’s only as good as the paint itself.

The paint is bonded to the concrete. So if the paint lifts, the sealer will as well. So make sure that the paint is in good condition. It needs to be clean and dry. And for good measure, you may need to lightly scuff the surface to get a good bond between the sealer and the paint.

We recommend you use compatible sealers with a compatible paint. If it’s a latex paint, you’re better off using a water-based sealer, something like our StrongSeal Plus or StrongSeal WetLook versus a solvent-based sealer. Using a solvent-based product could cause the paint to delaminate or emulsify.

If you’re using a penetrating sealer then you need to remove the paint, because you need the concrete to be absorbent. The paint on the concrete surface acts as a barrier to that absorbency. So, in this case, you would have to remove it.

It’s important that the concrete is clean and absorbent.

Whether you use a penetrating sealer like CoverSeal Premium, or a topical sealer like CoverShield U100, the sealer must be able to soak into the surface – and if needed – form a thin, protective film on the top layer.

To prepare for that, you should clean off any existing sealers, curing agents, chemicals and paints so the concrete is absorbent.

You can use chemical strippers like our FloorStrip HP. You can even can grind the concrete and leave it a little rough.

In this case, we recommend you test to make sure it’s absorbent by spraying or pouring some water on the surface, and looking to see whether it beads up. If it soaks in within 5 minutes, that tells you the concrete is absorbent. If you see the water ball up, or roll up, that tells you there is something present on the surface that is acting as a barrier.

So, assuming the concrete is clean and fully absorbent, we recommend you use a good water-based sealer for a pet type applications. Something that is non-toxic, and inert when it’s cured.

We recommend applying the sealer with a pump up sprayer on low pressure. Put a thin film if you’re using a topical sealer. Allow it to dry for three or four hours. And when it’s tack-free, apply a second coat. Two thin coats of a topical sealer is highly recommended.

If you’re using a penetrating sealer that will soak into the surface, just make sure it’s fully absorbed.

This is usually applied in a single coat in a higher application rate. So, you flood the concrete with the sealer, and it should soak in within about 10 to 15 minutes. If it hasn’t all soaked in within that time, you’ll have to brush it off or wipe it off.

If the penetrating sealer soaks in within five minutes or so, it’s telling you your concrete is very absorbent. Add another flood coat within an hour. And that should be fully absorbed within about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once you’ve applied the sealer, it’s important to let it dry until it’s fully cured.

When using a topical sealer, we recommend letting it dry at least 12 hours to 24 hours before exposing it to animals.
If using a penetrating sealer, you can use the surface after about 4 hours of drying time. Again, use your judgement.

Please note:
– You should not be cleaning that surface any sooner than about 8 hours.

If you’ve properly sealed your concrete with a good quality sealant, your concrete should be much easier to keep clean.

So the first tip is that you don’t need to use harsh chemicals. Dirt, debris, urine, and pet mess should be much easier to clean off the surface of the concrete.

High alkaline chemicals or very acidic chemicals should not be necessary. If you use them, you can damage the sealer and or damage the concrete. So, use mild cleaners. Something that has a disinfecting properties is good to use.

Microbial cleaners that remove odor – like CoverClean FG, CoverClean AE, CT50 or Emerald Cleaner – can be used on concrete to maintain a pet safe environment.

These cleaners are either ready to use, or if they’re concentrated make sure that you read the instructions and dilute them down.

It’s important to rinse off and let those cleaners air dry before you then open the surface back up to the pets.

Sealing concrete kennels is a tough job. We get asked a lot about this type of application.

It’s important to use something that’s got good chemical resistance. Something that’s going to hold up to pet urine, scratching, pet mess and frequent cleaning. And you need a sealer that’s going to resist the odor that comes from unsealed concrete.

We recommend a thin film sealer that will seal off the concrete, stop the stains, urine and pet mess getting into the surface, and provides a barrier that makes it easier to clean.

So the CoverShield U100 is our go-to product. It’s a water-based, two-part urethane sealer that is:

• Very tough
• Very scratch resistant, and
• Very easy to keep clean over concrete.

If you don’t want to change the surface’s look or texture, then the penetrating sealer would be the right choice.

Again, you need something that’s got a lot of polymer in it, and provides a lot of repellency. So our CoverSeal Premium penetrating sealer is what we recommend. This has some of the highest repellency chemicals in the marketplace – much higher than you typically see in a big-box store, or off-the-shelf penetrating sealer.

The CoverSeal Premium will repel oil stains, pet stains, food-based stains, urea, and it is very water resistant. It’s also helps keep surface clean.

Both of these products are water-based, so they’re safe to use around animals, especially when they’re cured and inert.

Silicones are used to formulate sealers, penetrating sealers, silanes, siloxanes, and water-based emulsions.

They are pet-friendly. You can use them on concrete and they will repel water, moisture and urine.

For strong protection penetrating sealer, we recommend using a fluorochemical like our CoverSeal Pen55 or our CoverSeal Premium. These have a much higher polymer content in them. They are very pet safe. And they’re also much more stain resistant than a silane-siloxane. So they protect your concrete against pet mess, urine, and other types of food-based stains or oil-based stains.

Any type of sealer – while it’s in a liquid state, or while it’s drying and curing – should be kept away from your pets.

It’s not good for them to get it on their paws, or for them to ingest it. It might cause upset stomachs or irritation.

With that said, using water-based driveway sealers will be safer than solvent-based products.

The solvent-based sealers, particularly big box store products, have a lot of solvent in them. Their solid content is about 15%. That means 85% of that sealer is solvent, such as Xylene or Acetone. These are toxic, and pets and animals should avoid being in the presence of them.

Water-based sealers and emulsions are much safer, faster drying – and when they’re dry, cured and totally inert – they won’t be harmful to pets in general.

First of, it’s good to use an environmentally-friendly cleaner to prep your concrete. Something like our CoverClean HC or our CoverClean AE.

These are microbial cleaners use natural enzymes and microbes to clean out contaminants, oils, pet stains, food-based stains, and mold & mildew.

Next, allow the concrete to air dry. Then, we recommend using water-based sealers.

These are much safer. There’s no pollution or toxic fumes released in the air. And when these water-based sealants are dry, they’re inert, non-toxic and non-harmful to pets and animals in general.

We recommend you look for a sealer that’s going to be:

• Very water resistant
• Very resistant to chemical stains,
• Resistant to pet stains, pet mess, and urine.

These are important characteristics of a good sealer. But, you also need a sealer that will hold up to regular cleaning by disinfectants, and other cleaning chemicals. You don’t want that sealer to lift and peel.

So, one consideration is to consider penetrating sealers. They are excellent for sealing concrete that’s exposed to pets and animals because the sealer is inside the pores of the concrete rather than lying on the surface.

CoverSeal Premium is a good choice. It’s highly resistant to chemical stains. Highly resistant to food stains. Highly resistant to pet mess stains. It’s a high polymer content sealer that you wouldn’t find in a big box store. And because it’s in the concrete’s pores, it will not lift and peel.

The very top surface of the concrete is still open, so if you want something that leaves an absolute barrier, then a topical sealer is a good choice.

Something like our StrongSeal WetLook or our CoverShield U100. These are topical sealers that form a thin layer across the top of the concrete, as well as penetrating into the sub-surface.

And because they’re very thin, they don’t lift and peel like a thicker concrete sealer – like an epoxy or a solvent-based acrylic – would do.

These water-based urethane sealers are:

• Very tough
• Very durable
• Highly water resistant, and
• Hold up to repeated cleaning with disinfectant and surface cleaning chemicals.

Join us again for another FAQ video from CoverTec Products.

 

About Our Expert | Charles Idowu

Charles Idowu started his career as a civil engineer in 1983 in the UK. After achieving his MBA and his Chartered Engineer qualifications, Charles quickly became the waterproofing and coatings expert for a renowned British construction company. His international work landed him in South Florida, where he combined his engineering experience and passion for business to start CoverTec Products.

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