Today I’m going to show you how to seal concrete countertops
Last week we revealed our new and oh so gorgeous DIY white concrete countertops and this has no doubt been the most popular project we’ve done so far. In order to protect our countertops and before we can use them like normal there is one more step that needs to be completed and that is sealing our countertops.
Concrete is a porous material and keeping these babies looking like new was very high up there on our list of “must haves ” and just like other options such as marble, staining can be an issue so having the right sealer was something we did tons of research on beforehand.
During our lengthy search we landed on Stoneloks E3/2k2 kit . we ended up purchasing the low gloss version for around $210.00.
This water-based/ food safe sealer has many reviews and a quick google search will tell you everything you need to know about the system as well as how it performs. We went with this option due to the low gloss and food safe formula.
Important Prep Info:
Before you begin you absolutely have to make sure the entire surface is clean…. Any remaining dust will cause bonding issues and can easily lead to air being trapped between the surface and the primer coat which will make a bubble and cause the product to peel so be sure to clean the surface thoroughly with plain clean water and allow the entire surface to dry before you begin this process.
This project can be a little intimidating at first but don’t get scared off by the wordy directions because it is actually quite easy.
Also, before you begin I want you to be aware that these products will darken your countertops slightly so be prepared for a slight change.
You’ll start with the OS/W substrate conditioner which is going to condition your concrete and get it prepped for the products that follow. Allow the OS/W to dry completely usually around 45 mins before moving on to the next step.
Next up you will mix and apply the epoxy which is the E3 version following the instructions. You will have a limited amount of time to apply the product so be sure read everything thoroughly before you begin so you are familiar with the steps.
Once the epoxy has been applied you wait approximately 12 hours before applying the final E3 urethane matte coat.
Note: if you wait longer than 12 hours you will need to sand the surface lightly which is not something you want to do if you are trying to keep the concrete as white as possible so be sure to get the second coat applied on time.
The final step E3 will be your protection coat, so be sure and cover the entire surface and the sides of the countertops. After allowing the product to dry you will need to wait 7 days before using your countertops and you’re all done!
Something interesting that I did read after we purchased the product was this review by
We aren’t sure how well this product will hold up just yet but feel good about it and will update this post once we’ve been able to put our kitchen to full use and can answer this honestly.
Would love to know how this sealer has held up for you over the year and half since posting this! Am going to be pouring white concrete countertops in the next coming months and wanted to see if this sealer has met or exceeded expectations. Thanks!
Trip, we have actually only had it for a few months since we just did it in December of 2018 and so far we have only had one issue, we thought we cleaned everything good enough but there was a spot that had a little dust under the layer which caused it to bubble in that spot but other than that it has held up nicely. It’s quite expensive and due to that I honestly wish I had something to compare it with so I could give you my opinion as far as this sealer vs another sealer but I have never used anything else so until I do all I can tell you is this system has worked pretty well so far for us. If we had it to do over again we would have spent more time cleaning the concrete.
I’m curious as to how this is holding up as well! I’ve read other blogs saying that tape has pulled the sealer up, that it is not knife safe, and that it scratches off if you try to open a wine bottle on the counter. I’m basically looking for whether or not this is going to be worth it over quartz for longevity sake. Thanks so much for your feedback!
If you can afford quartz get it…. If you’re looking for a more affordable option like we were then concrete is your gal! Yes the sealer can peel off but it holds up for a good while before that happens. We use and abuse ours and I am considering an epoxy topcoat to keep them protected. I plan on trying the epoxy option in our laundry room first without changing the old tile countertops out so hopefully I’ll have some more info on that soon!