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Concrete or masonry as a necessity require sealing - even
your planters, barbeques, chimneys and patio walls? How about your
driveways, walkways and patios? Concrete and masonry must be sealed! Here are some very good reasons. Water and cement don't get along, after the cement is set. In moist climates water will stimulate bacterial growth - bacteria that thrive on cement - causing the cement or mortar to rot and crumble - that is the worst-case scenario especially when the rotten cement is structural, but there are another reasons as well. When any cement is left untreated it is very porous and will absorb water, oils, organics and acids. If the temperature gets below freezing while moisture is present, simple physics comes into play and causes the liquid to expand as it freezes, dislodging the surface. This will cause spalling (When the outer layer of a brick, block, stone or concrete pops off leaving a divot behind) which at its best is unsightly. In addition there are staining problems (oil, organics with dye in them, animal excretion, salts, acids etc…) inherent in a porous slab or wall that is unsealed. You may also get problems resulting from dusting, algae formation, loss of strength, sulfate and nitrate disintegration and efflorescence. These reactions can cause paint, tile or other floor coatings to blister and peel (simple saponification). In moist climates, as I have stated in many other articles about concrete, air entrainment helps prevent freeze thaw problems, but the only certain way to avoid this problem is to use a masonry sealer on all of your cement, concrete and masonry surfaces. Definition of Scaling or Spalling is the loss of material at the surface of concrete due to freeze-thaw or freeze-thaw deicing agent attack.
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