Concrete driveways are great additions to a home, and even better when they are sealed in an appropriate product. We all want to get on our driveways as quick as possible, but sometimes it just takes a little bit of time for the sealer to cure and set properly! In this post we’ve outlined some of the time-frames required to ensure that concrete is sealed properly and ready for traffic (vehicle or pedestrian).
Whether you have a broom finish concrete with a penetrating sealer, or a stamped concrete patio with an acrylic sealer, in this post, we’ll help you ensure you make the right choice when it comes foot or vehicle traffic post-installation.
How long before you can drive on a sealed driveway?
Firstly it should be noted that there are a variety of concrete sealing products on the market. For instance, from a more aesthetically appealing perspective, we see acrylic products provide top-coat sealing, in matte, semi-gloss, satin, and gloss finishes. Not only that, color add-ins can be provided. Penetrating concrete sealers are also used in some cases. A penetrating concrete sealer actually penetrates and fills voids within the concrete matrix. These are examples of post-pour/post-cure sealers which in most cases need to be reapplied annually (or as per manufacturer recommendations). Finally, in some cases, you will have an additive mixed in the finishing process of the driveway, such as a hardener or sealer, used with trowel or final finishing process to cure the surface layer of the concrete. There are both residential and commercial concrete sealers for driveways.
Some of these products are fine for application within 7 days post-pour. Others recommend a full curing period of up to 28 days.
Typical Residential Acrylic(surface) Concrete Sealer
Typical concrete acrylic sealers can be ready for foot traffic in about 6 hours. Most vehicle traffic would be best after 12 to 24 hours. Some other products advertise no traffic at all until 24 hours. Most applications of concrete sealer still require the concrete to be in a cured state, as in a typical 28 day (~1 month) cure period for general duty concrete in residential driveways. Acrylic sealers need more time for foot traffic or vehicle traffic because the coating literally sits on top of the concrete and can be damaged directly.
Typical Residential Penetrating Concrete Sealer
You might find a penetrating concrete sealer product dry to the touch within an hour but this does not necessarily mean the surface is ready for traffic.
Some penetrating sealers need only 2-6 hours to cure properly prior to allowing foot or vehicle traffic. However this may extend out to 12 hours in the case of more serious products, especially for vehicle traffic. It will be difficult to tell when the penetrating sealer is fully cured, because it is not a surface layer, even though it will change the color of the concrete, it is not as visible as an acrylic concrete sealer.
Concrete Finishing Product Compounds
Concrete requires a curing process that entails hydration, this process of hydration, ensures that the concrete crystal/matrix forms appropriately to achieve consistent strength throughout the concrete structural or architectural element. To aid in this process, curing compounds (with sealing or even hardening properties) are utilized to provide a barrier against escape of moisture from the concrete, thus suficing to aid in the hydration process, in lieu of burlap or polyethylene sheets for instance.
As such these finishing compound products, are more difficult to distinguish as to the appropriate curing time as the application is in fact tied with the finishing process. Failure to install the product properly at concrete finishing will result in a less than adequate seal and lack of hardening properties.
Drying times and vehicle/foot traffic time vary greatly from product to product and use-case to use-case.
Conclusion
Make sure to re-apply concrete sealers yearly or as prescribed by the manufacturer’s installations. Desired product performance may be concluded upon application of the product as a mock-up, with curing times extending several days as necessary to assess water-resistance or durability performance. However, foot traffic or even vehicle traffic can be warranted much prior to that.
We recommend you reference the specific instructions for the concrete sealing product you have elected for. There are so many products on the market these days, identifying the specific time for foot or vehicle traffic is really dependent on factors such as (amount of solids, curing time, desired aesthetic, and even the type of concrete).
…and for all your Calgary concrete driveway and concrete sealing service requirements, call on the professionals from Deluxe Concrete Services. Their trusted team of professionals are ready and waiting to deliver on a professional grade residential or commercial project!
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