I just had a new garage floor poured, how long should I waite before sealing the floor? The weather is below freezing, should I still try and hose the floor to help the cement cure or waite another week until the temperature gets above the freezing point? Is there clear non-slip sealer if & when I do seal it? knuriata
a) How long ago is "just"? b) Month, anyway -- what's the rush? c) No, only misting if it's really hot keep from drying out too fast on top and overheating (curing concrete gives off heat) d) There's a product for anything you want. Whether you will want to spend the $$ is another question.
Most coating manufacturers recommend at least 30 days, but lober is better.
Where on earth did you get the idea that spraying water on fresh concrete speeds up curing time? Certain chemicals can be added to the wet mix to speed up curing time, but for a residential garage they aren't necessary and can't be "sprayed on" after the pour.
And on top of that, most coatings require that the surface temp stay above 50 degrees for application and 24 hours afterwards.
You'll get the best results by using a good two part epoxy coating. These are available in any color, including concrete grey. Go to a real paint store. Not a big box or consumer strip mall storefront. A local retailer used a clear epoxy over stained concrete, so I suspect that is an option as well. A very fine grit is available if slipping on a wet surface is a concern.
Why do you want to seal the floor???
Assuming you are concerned with salt damage, wait until early fall. You want the concrete to have cured as much as possible
If you want it to look better and protect it from oil leaks, then I suggest at least 30 days, keeping any oil off the floor. Then get a top quality 2 part epoxy garage floor material and follow the instructions, especially the ones on prep work 150%
We hope they gave you a mix that can handle the local temperatures. In a garage it likely will not get a cold as it would outside. You can go a little below freezing but not too much with standard mix. The purpose of keeping the concrete damp is to prevent it from drying before curing. I doubt it that will be a problem anywhere near freezing, especially in a garage.
See above and do consider the epoxy for a garage. It makes clean up a lot easier.
Where did he say "speed up the cure". If you re-read, he stated he wanted to "help" the cure. If you are going to help it, I translate that into making it better. To make it better, often the method is to keep the concrete wet so it will not cure too fast and it is helped to being stronger.
Do not let your new pour get below freezing. But in heating, do not dry it out either.
In the context of the OP's previous question about "How soon can I seal?", it's reasonable to assume that "helping the cure" was speeding it up, not making it stronger, especially for a residential garage floor. Still, your point is valid...
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