The Top 5 Best Wet Look Sealers are as follows:
Which wet look sealer is best for your application will depend on what you want your surface to look like once sealed, what you are trying to seal, and what you currently have down for a sealer.
Best Wet Look Sealers for Concrete
There are a few different types of wet look sealers that can be used to seal concrete. If your concrete is unsealed, you are free to use any wet look sealer. Which wet look sealer is best for your concrete will depend on what you want your concrete to look like once sealed.
- Matte Wet Look: The Armor WL550 is the best matte wet look sealer. It is a penetrating sealer that works entirely below the surface, and it will not leave a visible surface film. It is designed to slightly enhance the color of the concrete, and will help to protect the concrete against damage and deterioration caused by water absorption.
- Low Gloss Wet Look: Low gloss wet look sealers will provide a more dramatic wet look than a matte wet look sealer. Low gloss wet look sealers will darken the concrete to make it look wet, and will also leave behind a visible, protective, low gloss finish. The best low gloss wet look sealer for concrete is the Armor AR350. If your concrete is less than 28 days old and you need a cure and seal, the Armor LV15 is a great alternative.
- High Gloss Wet Look: High gloss wet look sealers will provide a more dramatic wet look than a matte wet look sealer, and more gloss than a low gloss wet look sealer. High gloss wet look sealers will darken the concrete to make it look wet, and will also leave behind a visible, protective, high gloss finish. The best high gloss wet look sealer for concrete is the Armor AR500. If your concrete is less than 28 days old and you need a cure and seal, the Armor LV25 is a great alternative.
- Water-Based Wet Look Sealers: Solvent based wet look sealers will provide the highest level of enhancement you can get with a wet look sealer. If you prefer not to use solvent-based acrylic sealers and prefer to work with low-odor water based acrylic sealer, you can use products like the Armor WB25 for a high gloss, or the Armor WB15 for a low gloss. Water-based acrylic sealers will still offer an attractive enhancement, and a lasting, protective gloss finish. The Armor WB25 and Armor WB15 can also be used on new concrete to help with the curing process.
Best Wet Look Sealer for Pavers
There are a few different types of wet look sealers that can be used to seal pavers. If your pavers are unsealed, you are free to use any wet look sealer. Which wet look sealer is best for your pavers will depend on what you want your pavers to look like once sealed.
- Matte Wet Look: The Armor WL550 is the best matte wet look sealer. It is a penetrating sealer that works entirely below the surface, and it will not leave a visible surface film. It is designed to slightly enhance the color of the pavers, and will help to protect the pavers against damage and deterioration caused by water absorption. Due to the porosity of the pavers, the color enhancement may be minimal. A second or third coat may be required. We strongly suggest applying the matte wet look sealer to a test area first, and compare it to a sealer like the Armor AR350, to determine which wet look is more desirable.
- Low Gloss Wet Look: Low gloss wet look sealers will provide a more dramatic wet look than a matte wet look sealer. Low gloss wet look sealers will darken the pavers to make them look wet, and will also leave behind a visible, protective, low gloss finish. The best low gloss wet look sealer for pavers is the Armor AR350. The Armor AR350 is the most popular wet look sealer for pavers. Due to the porosity of pavers, a third coat may be required to achieve the desired wet look finish.
- High Gloss Wet Look: High gloss wet look sealers will provide a more dramatic wet look than a matte wet look sealer, and more gloss than a low gloss wet look sealer. High gloss wet look sealers will darken the pavers to make them look wet, and will also leave behind a visible, protective, high gloss finish. The best high gloss wet look sealer for pavers is the Armor AR500. If you want the highest level of gloss you can get out of a wet look sealer, the Armor AR500 is perfect. Due to the porosity of pavers, a third coat may be required to achieve the desired wet look finish.
- Water-Based Wet Look Sealers: Solvent based wet look sealers will provide the highest level of enhancement you can get with a wet look sealer. If you prefer not to use solvent-based acrylic sealers and prefer to work with low-odor water based acrylic sealer, you can use products like the Armor WB25 for a high gloss, or the Armor WB15 for a low gloss. Water-based acrylic sealers will still offer an attractive enhancement, and a lasting, protective gloss finish.
Best Wet Look Sealers for Stamped Concrete
The same wet look sealers that can be used on stamped concrete can also be used to seal stamped concrete. Most contractors and home owners will opt for a low gloss wet look sealer or a high gloss wet look sealer however because they will not only enhance the color of the stamped concrete, but help to protect it against further degradation caused by surface abrasion. Matte wet look sealers can be used, but because they work entirely below the surface, they can’t reduce damage and deterioration caused by surface abrasion.
A second fact to consider is that most stamped concrete is originally sealed with an acrylic sealer. Penetrating sealers can’t be applied over an acrylic sealer, so an acrylic sealer often has to be used to reseal unless the old acrylic sealer has been completely removed first. If the stamped concrete was previously sealed with a water-based acrylic sealer, you want to reseal with a water-based acrylic sealer; if the stamped concrete was previously sealed with a solvent-based acrylic sealer, you want to reseal with a solvent-based acrylic sealer. You can only switch from a water-based to a solvent-based, or a solvent-based to a water-based, if the old acrylic sealer was completely removed first. This will help to prevent delamination and coating failure.
Best Wet Look Sealers for Brick
When it comes to choosing a wet look sealer for brick, the only wet look sealer that can be used is a penetrating sealer like the Armor WL550. Acrylic sealers, like the Armor AR350 or Armor AR500, should not be used on brick because the failure rate is extremely high. Brick does not provide a good bonding surface for acrylic resin. In addition to that, the mortar is very porous and allows for large amounts of water and moisture to pass through. Between the low bonding surface and the high exposure to water and moisture, acrylic sealers will often fail. Some acrylic sealers will survive on brick for a couple of months, while others will fail immediately.
Best Wet Look Sealers for Natural Stone
The best wet look sealers for natural stone, like flagstone, bluestone, and slate, is a penetrating sealer like the Armor WL550. Like with brick, natural stone does not provide a good bonding surface for acrylic resin. When grout is present between the stone, the grout allows for large amounts of water and moisture to pass through. Between the low bonding surface and the high exposure to water and moisture, acrylic sealers will often fail. Some acrylic sealers will survive on natural stone for a couple of months, while others will fail immediately.
Matte Wet Look Sealers
The best matte wet look sealer is the Armor WL550. The Armor WL550 is a penetrating, water repellent sealer designed to enhance and protect concrete, masonry, and natural stone surfaces. It will not leave a visible surface film or coating, and will not change the feel of the surface. The Armor WL550 is the best wet look sealer if you are looking for a penetrating sealer with a matte finish.
Low & High Gloss Wet Look Sealers
The best low gloss wet look sealer is the Armor AR350 (solvent-based) and Armor WB15 (water-based), and the best high gloss wet look sealers are the Armor AR500 (solvent-based) and Armor WB25 (water-based). Low and high gloss wet look sealers can be used on concrete and concrete pavers surfaces. They will darken the surface to make it look wet, and leave behind a visible, protective low to high gloss surface film.
Resealing With a Wet Look Sealer
If your concrete is currently sealed, that will determine what you can reseal with.
- Silicate sealer: If a silicate sealer was previously used, you can reseal with a matte wet look sealer, water-based wet look sealer, or solvent-based wet look sealer.
- Silane-Siloxane Sealer: If a silane-siloxane sealer was previously used, you can reseal with a matte wet look sealer or a solvent-based acrylic sealer. Silane-siloxane sealers are water repellent sealers and can repel a water-based product. For this reason, only solvent based sealers should be used unless the silane-siloxane sealer has been completely removed first.
- Solvent-based Acrylic Sealer: Solvent-based acrylic sealers should be resealed with a solvent-based acrylic sealer. If you want to switch to a penetrating wet look sealer, or a water-based acrylic sealer, the solvent-based acrylic sealer must be completely removed first. You will also want to remove the old acrylic sealer first if the old acrylic sealer is showing any signs of delamination.
- Water-based Acrylic Sealer: Water-based acrylic sealers should be resealed with a water-based acrylic sealer. If you want to switch to a penetrating wet look sealer, or a solvent-based acrylic sealer, the water-based acrylic sealer must be completely removed first. You will also want to remove the old acrylic sealer first if the old acrylic sealer is showing any signs of delamination.
For more information about wet look sealers, or to purchase wet look sealers, visit FoundationArmor.com.
