Sealing A Concrete Floor With PVA

PVA is great for a concrete floor that needs sealing. Here’s what you need to know about sealing a concrete floor with PVA and why it’s a good idea to use PVA as a sealer.

Where can you use PVA to seal concrete? You can use it as a sealer on any concrete floor, this could be a garage concrete floor or in the household.

Concrete has a high porosity which can be a problem when deciding how exactly to seal the floor. This high porosity means that paint doesn’t adhere correctly to the floor and seeps into the concrete giving you a blotchy, streaky concrete floor.

Moisture can be a real problem on concrete floors as it tends to absorb any moisture that it comes in contact with even with a coat of paint which will cause the paint to chip and crack. But there is a solution available and that’s to seal the concrete floor with PVA.

Concrete sealers combat this problem by essentially sealing the concrete from moisture and locking in the crumbly surface of the concrete. They can also be utilized as an undercoat if, in turn, you are looking to paint a concrete floor.

PVA polyvinyl acetate is an inexpensive solution to sealing concrete floors and can work just as well as expensive specialised concrete sealers. While specialised concrete sealers have their benefits this article is about PVA and sealing a concrete floor with PVA so we’ll try and stay on topic.

PVA Sealer And Adhesive

Polyvinyl acetate, (PVA) is a multi-purpose chemical compound that has a large application base and is the ingredient in many compounds that are used around the home DIY industry. You can find PVA in the likes of latex acrylic paint and drywall primer in addition to concrete floor sealers.

It is an environmentally safe product that adheres to the UK environment standards which makes it a great choice for sealing a dusty concrete floor. It creates a barrier between the concrete which protects and allows you to easily apply a coat of enamel or epoxy-based paint as a finishing coat if you wish to.

You can purchase PVA at any local hardware store or at a range of online shops for an inexpensive cheap cost.

Sealing a Concrete Floor For A Dust Free Finish

Follow these steps to ensure you correctly prepare and seal a duty concrete floor. Preparation is always the most important step when tackling any DIY job so make sure you have all the tools needed.

What will you need when sealing a concrete duty floor?

• Brush for dust
• Hoover
• Scrapper
• PVA
• Water
• Paintbrush
• Soft bristle broom

1. Prepare the surface

The first step is to inspect the floor and remove any dried concrete that appears on the surface. If you have paint splatters dried in then you are going to want to remove those as well as these will cause issues with the PVA. You can scrape it off for a smooth surface, If you are finding it hard to remove paint marks or blotches then you will need to use a paint stripper before moving onto the next step.

2. Clear the concrete floor

You need to brush the concrete floor to remove any dust and small particles that are in abundance. You will not be able to remove all the dust although and the more you brush the more dust will naturally release from concrete so don’t worry this will be fine when you come to apply the PVA solution.

3. Hoover up any additional dust

You may be worried about the dust on the floor not being completely removed. You can remove additional dust with a hoover. Just work your way around the area from one side to the other to keep tabs on where you have been.

4. Sealing concrete PVA mix ratio

Take your PVA and create a PVA sealing solution for the concrete. Remember to keep it thin, you want this to be absorbed into the concrete to create a top sealer. If the PVA mixture is too thick then it will create a tacky, sticky film on top of the concrete which is what we want to avoid.

Use the ratio of 4 parts of water to 1 part of PVA to correctly dilute the sealer. You can use a more diluted mixture but this is the standard ratio we would advise.

5. Apply the PVA sealer to the concrete floor

Now work you’re way from one side of the surface to the other. Apply the PVA sealer with either a soft broom brush if you have a large surface to apply and finish the edges off with a small paintbrush. If it’s a small area then you can apply with a paintbrush without too much effort.

Ensure the area is clean and clear before you start applying the PVA sealer.

6. Wait for the sealer to dry

Once the sealer has been applied wait for the concrete to dry out. It won’t take long but it’s best to leave it overnight so leave at least 12hours but it’s best to leave about 24 hours to ensure that all the sealer has completely dried into the concrete.

7. Do you need a second coat

You can apply a second coat of PVA sealer if you think it’s necessary. However, a single coat is often sufficient. Have a look at the final job and if there are patches missing or it seems like it didn’t take properly then apply a second sealer coat of PVA and wait for it to dry.

8. It’s time for the clean-up

You will notice some dust left on the surface of the concrete, that’s to be expected. So hoover or vacuum around the newly sealed concrete floor after brushing the dust into the centre. You should remove all the dust particles in preparation for painting.

Final Thoughts

There is some debate as to whether sealing a concrete floor with PVA is a good idea. It’s true that any splashes that go outside the floor, such as on the walls will be problematic when applying emulsion paint or that the sealer will go tacky and sticky when applying adhesive.

We have sealed concrete floors with PVA before with no issues but it’s a debated topic among DIYs and tradesmen.

There are specialised concrete sealers available and if you are worried about sealing a concrete floor with PVA then invest in a proper sealer.