Hi, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior concrete sealing and protection. For info about who I am, please read my full bio here.
My Suggestions for the Best Concrete Sealers
Click on the link and jump straight to my reviews:
- My Best Overall Concrete Sealer: Super Seal-M Water Repellent
- My Glossy Concrete Sealer: Super Seal 30 Paver Sealer
- My Concrete Epoxy Coating: Restore-A-Garage Epoxy Coatings
- My Wet-Look Concrete Sealer: Supreme Shield SB-600
- My Concrete Paver Sealer: Super Seal 25 Sealer
- My All-Purpose Concrete Sealer: Masonry Saver Heavy Duty Water Repellent
The Best Concrete Sealers for 2025
Choosing the Best Concrete Sealer for Your 2025 Projects
Concrete is one of the most versatile materials, used in a variety of interior and exterior applications such as driveways, vertical brick walls, brick paver patios, and basement floors. However, its porous nature makes it susceptible to damage from water, UV radiation, wear and tear, and more.
To protect and extend the life of your concrete surfaces, sealing or waterproofing is a must. With over 30 years of experience, I’ve conducted hands-on testing of popular concrete sealers and compiled detailed ratings and reviews to guide you in selecting the best products for your home improvement projects.
Whether you’re looking to protect a heavily used driveway or enhance the beauty of a brick patio, the right concrete sealer can make all the difference. Explore my reviews and find the top-performing sealers for 2025 to ensure your concrete surfaces stay protected and looking great for years to come.
Want personalized help? Post your questions below, and I’ll be glad to help you find the best concrete sealer.
Understanding Concrete Sealer and Water Repellent Types
Sealing your concrete is one of the best investments you can make to protect it from the elements. A quality sealer guards against deicing salts, spills, mold/mildew, and freeze/thaw damage, extending the life and beauty of your concrete surfaces. Whether it’s a driveway, sidewalk, pool deck, or patio, sealing provides essential protection.
With so many types of concrete sealers available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. To simplify the process, I’ve broken down the most common types of concrete sealers and their ideal uses. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make the best choice for your specific project.
Penetrating Concrete Sealers
Penetrating sealers are a popular choice for their ability to provide deep, long-lasting protection. These sealers react chemically with the concrete, penetrating up to ½ inch below the surface to shield against moisture and damage. They are especially effective for horizontal surfaces where water repellency is crucial.
Key Benefits:
- Protects against salts, efflorescence, and freeze/thaw damage.
- Retains the natural appearance of the concrete with a matte finish.
- Does not alter the surface color or texture.
Ideal Applications:
Penetrating sealers are perfect for plain poured or white concrete and can be used on:
- Driveways
- Patios
- Walkways
- Retaining walls
- Exterior brick walls
- Basements
- Garages
Penetrating Concrete Sealer Photos
Types of Filming and Enhancing Concrete Sealers
Sealing concrete is not only about protection but also about enhancing its appearance. Filming and enhancing sealers are excellent choices for those looking to add both durability and aesthetic appeal to their surfaces. Below is a breakdown of these popular sealer types and their uses.
Filming Concrete Sealers
Filming concrete sealers form a thin protective film on the surface of the concrete, offering both durability and breathability. The most common type of filming sealers are acrylics, which create a protective layer that shields the surface from wear and tear.
Appearance:
Filming sealers can slightly alter the look of the concrete, often giving it a darker or shinier finish depending on whether the product is water-based or solvent-based.
Ideal Applications:
- Concrete Brick Pavers
- Stamped Concrete
- Exposed Aggregate
- Stained Concrete Surfaces
Enhancing (Wet Look) Concrete Sealers
As the name implies, enhancing sealers are designed to amplify the visual appeal of concrete surfaces. These sealers form a thicker, more durable film compared to standard filming sealers, offering a wide range of finishes, from glossy to matte.
Key Features:
- Enhances the surface with a wet look or a subtle sheen.
- Available in various finishes: glossy, semi-gloss, satin, matte, or no shine.
- Can include pigments for added color, ideal for restoring or customizing faded surfaces.
- Highly durable, abrasion-resistant, and water-repellent.
Ideal Applications:
- Concrete Brick Pavers
- Stamped Concrete
- Exposed Aggregate Surfaces
Gloss and “Wet Look” Concrete Sealers
For homeowners seeking a bold, wet look, high-gloss concrete sealers are the go-to option. These sealers contain a high percentage of solid content, darkening the surface to give it a wet, freshly-sealed appearance.
Key Benefits:
- Restores the original color of faded surfaces.
- Provides a deep, rich finish that enhances the surface’s natural beauty.
- Protects against moisture and weather damage.
Ideal Applications:
- Concrete Brick Pavers
- Stamped Concrete
- Exposed Aggregate Surfaces
Gloss and Wet Look Concrete Sealer Photos
Epoxy Concrete Coatings
One of the more popular concrete coating types I like to use is the Epoxy Coating. These coatings have proven to be some of the most durable. Epoxy Coatings can be used for interior and exterior applications, but most are used for interior or covered surfaces. By using Epoxy Concrete Coatings, you can prolong the life of the concrete surface while making it easier to clean.
Where to Use: Garage floors, warehouse floors, industrial floors, shop floors, basements, concrete patios, and concrete countertops.
Best Overall Concrete Sealer | Best Concrete Epoxy Coating | Best Overall Gloss Concrete Sealer | Best Wet Look Concrete Sealer |
Best Overall Concrete Sealer: Super Seal-M Water Repellent
- My favorite concrete water-repellent. Works great and does not cost a fortune.
SUPER SEAL-M is a water-based Silicone Water Repellent made of a special hybrid of Silane and Siloxane. SUPER SEAL-M provides water repellency to porous construction materials such as bricks, stone, concrete blocks, mortar, and grout. The active ingredients in the SUPER SEAL-M Water Repellent Sealer are a mixture of different-sized particles larger, some smaller, to fill different-sized voids. The active ingredients in SUPER SEAL-M Water Repellent can chemically react with the substrate, ensuring long-lasting performance.
- Where To Find: SuperSeal M Concrete Water Repellent
- Types of Substrates: Plaine Poured Concrete, Bricks, Brick and Chimney Walls, Masonry, Natural Stone
- Consumer Star Ratings: 5/5 (20)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 8.6/10
- See My Review Article Here: Super Seal-M Water Repellent Review
Best Gloss Concrete Sealer Review: Super Seal 30 Concrete & Paver Sealer
- My favorite stamped concrete sealer.
SuperSeal30 is a Higher-Gloss Concrete Sealer that can be used on many types of concrete surfaces. It is very popular for Brick Paver Patios, Exposed Aggregate, and Stamped Concrete. This sealer darkens the appearance and leaves a shine. It is a solvent-based, breathable acrylic sealer.
Note: Not to be used for plain poured (white) concrete.
- Where To Find: SuperSeal30 Concrete Sealer
- Sealer Type: High Gloss Solvent-Based Styrene Acrylic
- Types of Substrates: Pavers, Stamped Concrete, Exposed Aggregate, Decorative Concrete, Acid Stained Concrete
- Consumer Star Ratings: 4.7/5 (50)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 8.6/10
- See My Review Article Here: Super Seal 30 Sealer Review
Best Concrete Epoxy Coating Review: Restore-A-Garage Epoxy Coating
- By far, it is the best Epoxy coating I have ever used!
Restore-A-Garage is an advanced, water-based Concrete Epoxy Floor Coating System for maximum protection and longevity. It is a 100% solid, high-build garage floor epoxy coating that undergoes a chemical reaction that results in a thick coating tightly bonded to the prepared surface. Restore-A-Garage Epoxy Coating will protect against abrasions, stains, impact, and chipping AND IS resistant to moisture, dirt, chemicals, and salts, making it ideal for those living in climates where rain and snow are common as the seasons change.
- Where To Find: Restore-A-Garage Epoxy Coatings
- Coating Type: Two-component, Epoxy 100% Solids. 12 different color options.
- Types of Substrates: Garage Floors, Basements, Shop Floors, Warehouse, Counter Tops
- Consumer Star Ratings: 4.9/5 (18)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 8.8/10
- See My Review Article Here: Restore-A-Garage Epoxy Review
Best Wet Look Concrete Sealer Review: Supreme Shield SB-600
- I love this wet-look sealer for brick pavers and exposed aggregate patios
SUPREME SHIELD SB is a solvent-based penetrating sealer designed for stamped concrete, concrete pavers, and other porous concrete surfaces. The application of SUPREME SHIELD SB will enhance the color and give it a wet look without adding the gloss and plastic look associated with other traditional film-forming sealers. Once treated, the surface repels water and oil to prevent staining.
Note: Not to be used for plain poured (white) concrete.
- Where To Find: Supreme Shield SB-600
- Sealer Type: No Gloss Wet Look Sealer Solvent Based
- Types of Substrates: Pavers, Stamped Concrete, Exposed Aggregate, Decorative Concrete
- Consumer Star Ratings: 5/5 (20)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 9/10
- See My Review Article Here: Supreme Shield SB-600 Review
Best Concrete Paver Sealer Review: Super Seal 25 Concrete Sealer
- My favorite brick paver sealer! We have been using it for over twenty years and have applied it to thousands of paver projects.
SuperSeal25 is a Semi-Gloss Concrete Sealer that can be used for Brick Paver Patios, Exposed Aggregate, and Stamped Concrete. This sealer will darken the appearance and leave a shine similar to a semi-gloss. The SuperSeal25 is a 25% solid solvent-based, breathable acrylic sealer and curing compound. This product is suitable for use on interior and exterior concrete surfaces.
Note: Not to be used for plain poured (white) concrete.
- Where To Find: SuperSeal25 Semi-Gloss Sealer
- Sealer Type: Semi-Gloss Solvent-Based Styrene Acrylic
- Types of Substrates: Pavers, Stamped Concrete, Exposed Aggregate, Decorative Concrete
- Consumer Star Ratings: 4.8/5 (21)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 8.4/10
- See My Review Article Here: Super Seal 25 Sealer Review
Best Concrete All-Purpose Sealer: MasonrySaver Heavy Duty Water Repellent
MasonrySaver® (Also known as “Defy”) All-Purpose Heavy Duty Water Repellent is a modified siloxane-based product designed to penetrate most masonry and concrete pores deeply. Unlike acrylics, silicones, and other waterproofing sealers that remain on the surface and trap water vapors, this masonry waterproofing product allows deep penetration of its active ingredient of up to 1/4 inch or more.
- Where To Find On Google: MasonrySaver (Defy) Heavy Duty Water Repellent
- Types of Substrates: Plain Poured Concrete, Brick, Masonry, Natural Stone, Brick, and Chimney Walls
- Consumer Star Ratings: 4.9/5 (10)
- ConcreteSealerReview.com Rating: 8.8/10
- See My Review Article Here: MasonrySaver Heavy Duty Water Repellent Review
The Best Concrete Help and Tips
What is the Best Concrete Sealer to Use? How to Choose the Right Product
The answer depends on why you are sealing, what surface you are trying to seal, and your final expectations. There are many types of sealers for concrete and masonry surfaces. Concrete sealers come in both water-based and solvent-based formulas. They can be generic formulas for all surfaces or specific to the surface you are applying to. For example, you would want a Brick Paver Sealer for a Paver Patio and a Chimney Sealant for your Chimney. Still, you could use MasonrySaver All-Purpose Water Repellent for both.
Why seal your concrete or brick? The primary reasons to seal and waterproof your concrete are:
1. Preventing hairline cracks due to water expansion during freeze/thaw cycles.
2. Prevent water penetration and seepage of water through walls and foundations.
3. Enhance the appearance by adding a gloss or darkening the overall color.
4. Prevent damage from deicing salts during winter months.
5. Provide protection from “Pitting,” “Spalling,” or deterioration of the concrete, which causes chunks of the concrete to separate from the concrete structure.
Once I understand the surface we are treating and the reasons we are treating it, we can narrow down the best concrete sealer to use.
Here is an example of a concrete surface.
1. What State do you live in Florida
2. Interior or Exterior concrete surface: Exterior
3. Vertical or Horizontal application: Horizontal
4. Change or enhance appearance (gloss or wet look) or no change of appearance: Wet Look/Gloss
5. Type of surface examples: Driveway, Paver Patio, Brick Wall, etc. Paver Driveway
Based on the answers, you would want a sealer specific to brick pavers that gives excellent UV resistance since it is in Florida, adding a shiny, enhanced look. Based on these questions, you would want to look at:
I Can Help You Find the Best Concrete Sealer
Answer these questions to help you choose “the best concrete sealers.” Just post a comment below, and based on your answers, I will suggest a couple of different options for what sealant or water repellent you should use:
Let me know if you’d like additional details or recommendations for your project!
I’m looking for the best sealant to keep mildew from growing. Must not be slippery as near pool. Looking for a Matte finish. Cement and soda pavers
Make sure to clean and remove the mold and midlew first. Seal with Super Seal-M after. https://www.concretesealerreview.com/superseal-m-water-repellent/
What happen to my question