What’s the Best Concrete Sealer for Your Project?
This is a guide to help you find the right sealer for your concrete, whether that’s a driveway, patio, pool deck, interior floor, or garage slab. For each job type we’ll give you a primary recommendation and a runner-up, and explain why.
“People make sealer selection harder than it needs to be. After 50 years in this industry, we’ve learned it’s better to keep it simple. Match the product to the surface, understand why, and you’ll get it right every time.”
— Antonio Thomas, Brickform team member
Quick reference: best sealer by surface
- Best sealer for gray, broom-finished driveways: Stealth-Seal WB
- Best sealer for stamped, colored, or exposed aggregate driveways: Gem-Guard SB
- Best sealer for stamped or colored patios: Gem-Seal
- Best sealer for pool decks: Gem-Guard SB
- Best sealer for decorative interior floors: DecoPoxy
- Best sealer for utility or garage floors: UreMax WB
- Best sealer for decorative garage floors: Poly-Astic
All recommendations assume properly prepared, fully cured concrete with no active moisture vapor transmission issues. If you’re unsure about surface prep requirements, reach out to your local Brickform distributor before you start.
The Best Concrete Sealer for Driveways
The standard driveway is typically a broom finish because it is cost-effective and slip-resistant. Most contractors do not seal broom-finished driveways unless it’s specified, and they’re usually gray for the same reason color work costs more. So if your driveway is unsealed, gray, and broom-finished, here’s what we recommend.
Primary pick: Stealth-Seal WB
Best for gray, broom-finished driveways
Stealth-Seal WB is Brickform’s invisible sealer. It’s a water-based silane/siloxane penetrating sealer that repels water and oil and allows your concrete to breathe. No film, no gloss change, no effect on the broom texture or slip resistance. It just protects.
That breathability is what makes it the right call for freeze-thaw climates. When you’re throwing de-icing salt down in winter, you need a sealer that won’t trap moisture in the slab. Stealth-Seal handles salt intrusion and freeze-thaw cycles without sealing moisture in.
Runner-up: Gem-Guard SB
Best for colored, exposed aggregate, or stamped driveways
If the driveway has color, exposed aggregate, or stamp work, Gem-Guard SB is the better call. It’s a penetrating silane/siloxane sealer like Stealth-Seal, but with acrylic content that adds color enhancement and a low sheen. You get the same breathability and freeze-thaw protection, plus a finish that does justice to decorative work. It’s also rated for de-icing salt exposure and works on concrete, stone, and masonry, so it handles mixed-material driveways without issue.
For more information on protecting concrete from salt damage, read our blog on preventing salt damage.
Still have questions? Read our complete guide on concrete driveway sealers.
The Best Sealer for Patios and Outdoor Living Spaces
Patios and outdoor living spaces are where decorative concrete shines. If you have stamped, stained, colored, or exposed aggregate concrete, you want a sealer that enhances the work as much as it protects it.
Primary pick: Gem-Seal
Best for stamped, stained, or colored patios
Gem-Seal is Brickform’s best-selling exterior sealer for decorative concrete, and it earns that spot. It enhances color, adds a rich gloss, and protects against water, oil, food stains, and the leaf stains that show up on patios near trees.
It’s also compatible with all of Brickform’s sealer additives. Need slip resistance on a wet surface? Add Traction Grip. Want a lower-sheen finish? Matte Magic. Want a tinted sealer? Tinta’ Seal. Gem-Seal is the workhorse of the line for a reason.
Runner-up: Gem-Guard SB
Best for patios with pavers or mixed materials
If the patio has pavers, or you want color enhancement with lower gloss and a breathable finish, Gem-Guard SB is a strong alternative. Same salt and water protection, same freeze-thaw suitability, but penetrating instead of film-forming. Works well on mixed-material outdoor spaces where Gem-Seal’s film-forming chemistry isn’t the right fit.
Learn more about sealing stamped concrete.
The Best Pool Deck Sealer
Pool decks take more abuse than any other outdoor concrete surface. Between the constant water exposure, chlorine or salt, and the slip-and-fall risk, the sealer you choose here matters more than anywhere else.
Primary pick: Gem-Guard SB
Best for decorative or colored pool decks
Gem-Guard SB is Brickform’s top recommendation for pool decks. It’s a penetrating sealer that works from within the concrete pores, protecting against water, chlorine, and salt while maintaining slip resistance and allowing the concrete to breathe. Unlike film-forming sealers, there’s nothing to peel or trap moisture beneath.
It also provides color enhancement, bringing out the depth of decorative and stained surfaces with a low sheen. It holds up in both chlorinated and saltwater environments and is rated for freeze-thaw climates.
Runner-up: Stealth-Seal WB
Best for uncolored pool decks where appearance isn’t a factor
If the pool deck is uncolored and you just need protection, Stealth-Seal WB is the call. It’s invisible, breathable, and rated for saltwater and freeze-thaw climates. No color enhancement, no sheen. Just a clean, protected surface.
Check out the complete guide: Concrete Pool Deck Sealers 101
The best sealer for interior concrete floors
The right sealer for an interior floor comes down to one question: is it decorative or utility? A stained basement floor and a garage storage room need very different things.
Primary pick: DecoPoxy
Best for decorative interior floors with acid stain, water-based stain, or dye
DecoPoxy is Brickform’s premium interior sealer. It’s low odor and safe to apply indoors, including basements and other spaces without a lot of ventilation.
It delivers high-gloss, wet-look color enhancement on acid-stained, water-based stained, and dye-colored concrete. If the floor has decorative color, DecoPoxy is what brings out the richness.
Runner-up: UreMax WB
Best for utility spaces, workout rooms, or anywhere a matte finish is preferred
If you don’t need the gloss, UreMax WB is the right call. It dries to a matte finish and is one of the most durable, chemical-resistant sealers we make. It can handle whatever a utility space throws at it.
Pro tip: With either sealer, apply Brickform’s Premium Acrylic Floor Finish as a sacrificial topcoat. It adds an extra layer of protection and is far easier than stripping and resealing.
Related: How to achieve lasting beauty with stained concrete floors
The best sealer for garage and shop floors
Garage and shop floors see oil and grease spills, hot tire traffic, dropped tools, and years of hard use. They’re typically the most neglected concrete in a building. Here’s what we recommend.
Primary pick: UreMax WB
Best for gray or uncolored garage and shop floors
UreMax WB is the most durable sealer in the Brickform line. It’s what we use in Solomon Colors and Brickform’s own warehouse and manufacturing facilities, where the concrete sees forklift traffic, scraping pallets, and heavy industrial use day in and day out.
It’s durable, chemical resistant, and easy to maintain. For a gray or uncolored garage or shop floor, this is the answer.
Runner-up: Poly-Astic
Best for decorative garage floors that need high gloss and maximum chemical resistance
If the floor has decorative color and you want a high-gloss finish that can stand up to gasoline, motor oil, and heavy use, Poly-Astic is the call. The gloss level is in a different category from anything else we make.
One important note on application: Poly-Astic requires adequate ventilation and proper respiratory protection. Do not apply in enclosed spaces without serious air movement. It is also a finish coat. Do not apply other coatings over it.
An important note before you buy your sealer
Brickform sealers are professional-grade products. They’re not available at home improvement stores, and they require proper surface preparation and the right application equipment to perform correctly.
If you’re a contractor, your local Brickform distributor can confirm product availability and connect you with technical support for job-specific questions. If you’re a homeowner, contact a distributor before you buy. They can connect you with a qualified contractor or help you determine if this is a project you can take on yourself.
For VOC compliance information specific to your region, check our VOC Map and always reference the current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before applying any product.
Contact your distributor to place an order, or visit our Tech Docs section for full product specifications and technical data sheets.
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