Sealing Concrete Runs - Page 1

So, what's the best thing for sealing concrete dog runs? I know that years ago Thompson's Water Glass was what people used. Surely there's something new on the market, even though that product is still around!

Also, can old concrete be re-sealed, if it's pressure washed first to get rid of the dirt? The runs are in good shape, though they've all cracked in the middle at the highest point. (Someone SHOULD have known enough to put a joint there, like they do in sidewalks.)

What about a rubberized product that will adhere to concrete? It will allow easy wash-down and some grip as well. Something that is used on garage surfaces, and stands up to dirt/oil/grease would be good, I think. I'm sure your local hardware store can recommend something like that.

I am not sure a product like that would stand up to ice and snow. During winter thaws, I try to clear the runs and hose them down before everything refreezes. This often involves the use of an ice chopper or a shovel with a sharp metal blade.

Forget anything you get from a hardware store, the commercial products are what's needed. If your concrete is cracked from lack of joints, I'm guessing the rest of the concrete has issues too. Good concrete placed and finished is a joy to live with, marginal concrete is a pain every day you use it. Moving on. Sealers are generally sealers. They seal for awhile and the sealing goes away after awhile. If your concrete is porous, the sealer is less effective. What you hope to start with is a slab with a drain or at least sloped to drain with a decent surface. A surface that can be squeegeed and the water is removed vs. the concrete is so rough it leaves a lot of water behind. Reason being, you have a surface that will take less material. Preparation is the key to a successful coating. You'll have to dress, prep. and fill the cracks with a good self leveling joint compound to start with. If the surface is rough, get (rent) a floor grinder and go over the surface to take the roughness out. This gets rid of a lot of the dirt accumulated over the years. From there pick your product and prep the concrete according to the manufacturer. I would first look at the epoxy coatings. They stick and give an excellent service life. You can go smooth for easy cleaning or a slight sand texture for some grip as smooth is very slippery. There's a variety of coatings and epoxy coatings out there. Check out your commercial concrete contractors supply as a place to start. Check with the applicator or somehow try to see what the coating you selected looks like after a few years. I can show you the grey stuff from Home Depot and Lowes. 50% is on the floor, about 1% peels up every time I wash it. One big mess I live with every day. When enough of it is gone, I'll be putting something real on it. Good luck.

I have had concrete floor runs for a long time and at different locations...Depending on how you're setting up your kennels...I want smooth concrete floors of which I can put down something for the dogs to lay on...I use "horse mats" for most of my dogs...If you have a sand finish it will hold the dirt and be hard to clean...
The concrete is the key to having a good kennel floor...My floors are smooth and easy to clean and are very well laid...
I have had kennels with concrete block kennel-kicker walls (the walls between each run)...The builder thought it was a good idea to paint them with a good quality paint...I didn't want that that way and it was a real pain...the paint peeled and was a real problem...I would wash the walls and would have to wash out the peeled paint...
I personally don't and wouldn't use anything on my floors or walls...Just a good concrete...
But if you already have something down then you have to try something to rectify the problem...You might contact some concrete contractors and find out what they'd suggest for your specific problem...

Okay, runs are about 25 ft. long, and come to an arch in the middle for drainage. They drain well, despite being about 30 years old, and obviously having undergone some settling. The back half of the runs are roofed, and you can see remains of whatever the original coating was. The texture resembles what I remember from when my dad sealed the basement floor of our new house with Thompson's water seal.

The part of the runs exposed to the weather don't have any coating left, and hold the dirt. I can get some of it off with the pressure washer, but not sure it would all come up even with repeated sprayings. But I'd like to reseal it just to lessen the workload, and improve sanitation. It really starts to stink from the urine it absorbs at this time of year!