It can become confusing when looking for an easy-to-use DIY garage floor sealer that offers good protection and looks great as well. While some sealers offer a very durable and beautiful finish, the do-it-yourself part can turn out to be much more involved than the average homeowner wants to tackle. Epoxy floor coatings are a good example.
Every once in a while we like to highlight a product that we feel does a particular job well and/or is easy to use. In this particular case, if you want a garage floor sealer that looks great, is easy to apply, and offers a nice durable finish to bare concrete, then you came to the right spot. We recommend that you take a look at the HD6600-MMA™ Interior/Exterior Concrete Sealer by Legacy Industrial.
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Why this DIY Acrylic garage floor sealer?
What makes this concrete sealer unique from most other easy-to-use acrylic sealers is the use of methyl methacrylate copolymer acrylic resin (MMA). It’s a solvent-based sealer that provides the MMA in a 30% solids formulation. Here is a quote from Legacy Industrial’s technical data sheet about the benefits of an MMA sealer;
HD6600-MMA™ offers improved resistance to rain, the sun, freezing temperatures, stains, hot-tires, and other pollutants that sometimes can be hazardous to concrete, far greater than other conventional sealers. HD6600-MMA™ truly is non-yellowing and will not have hot-tire issues, ever!
What this means is that you get a DIY garage floor sealer that can be easily applied with a roller and delivers better protection than typical acrylic concrete sealers.
HD6600 has a glossy clear finish. However, you can purchase the optional Matte additive if you want to tone down the gloss. In addition, you can create a solid color tint with their optional Color-Bomb additive if want something other than clear.
Lastly, it is U.V. stable and approved for both interior and exterior use. This means that you don’t have to worry about your garage floor being exposed to the sun for long periods of time.
Benefits of Legacy Industrial HD6600-MMA Acrylic Sealer
MMA acrylics offer better protection over standard water-based and solvent acrylic sealers and are the most durable you can apply. HD6600-MMA creates a much better film formation that contributes to the following benefits when applied in multiple coats:
- Water resistance
- Good adhesion
- Concrete dust proof
- Excellent efflorescence and alkali resistance
- Non-yellowing
- Chemical resistance
- No hot tire pickup
- Excellent over bare, stained, or dyed concrete
- Higher abrasion resistance than other acrylic sealers
- Fast dry time
- Optional Color-Bomb tint
- Optional Matte finish additive
- Provides an easy-to-clean garage floor or concrete surface
- Available in a clear matte or gloss finish
The better chemical and abrasion resistance is one benefit that makes this garage floor sealer stand out compared to other acrylic sealers. It has good resistance to motor oil and salts as well as good resistance to gasoline and most other chemicals that you find in a typical garage. If you do happen to damage the surface, it is easily repaired with the application of more sealer.
Is this type of sealer just as durable as epoxy? No, it’s not. And this is one of the reasons why it is less expensive. However, it is also much easier to apply than epoxy. It provides good protection and great looks for the average garage floor that doesn’t see a lot of abuse.
MMA acrylic sealers are also a popular choice for commercial applications where heavy foot traffic and light vehicle traffic are common.
One thing to be aware of is that like most topical sealers, this one can be somewhat slippery when wet. Legacy Industrial recommends applying their Soft Skid additive in the Fine grit level to the final coat if you want to improve the anti-skid properties.
How easy is it to apply this sealer?
Just like any other DIY acrylic concrete sealer, HD6600-MMA™ is easiest to apply using a 3/8″ nap roller out of a paint tray. It can be applied with a quality garden pump-up sprayer with a conical tip as well. If you can paint a wall and clean a garage floor, then you are qualified to apply this sealer.
Because it is solvent-based, you need to take the proper precautions and extinguish any open flames that you may have in the garage. You do need to clean the concrete before application. It is imperative to remove all contaminants such as oil, dirt, dust, grease, and any excess concrete laitance. Be sure to give the concrete adequate drying time before application and do not apply it if there are any visible signs of moisture.
A light sanding or acid etch may be required if your concrete is not very porous or has been steel-troweled to a very smooth finish.
A minimum of two thin coats are recommended for the best performance and appearance. More coats can be applied if you desire. Each coat can be applied approximately 4 hours after the first coat, but no later than 24 hours. You can walk on it in 4-6 hours after application and driven on 24-48 hours after the final coat.
One gallon covers approximately 250-350 square feet. Remember that the second and third coats always go further since they don’t soak into the concrete like the first.
If you are looking for a DIY garage floor sealer that will stand up to the rigors of light to medium-duty garage use, then this sealer is worth looking into. It is easy to apply, easily repaired, easy to clean, looks great, and has good wear resistance for an acrylic sealer.
Gerber Construction says
Thanks for posting! When it comes to DIY home improvement sometimes the garage gets overlooked. And while it may not be ‘easy’, simple projects like this can add so much value to the look, feel, and resale value of the home.
ELG says
Legacy told me that the floor needs to be sanded before applying this.
Shea says
Yes, sometimes this may be a requirement if you have hard troweled concrete or concrete that does not absorb water well. Sanding the surface or a mild acid etch may be required.
John says
What is the best product for a maintenance coat, floor previously sealed with epoxy, has lost the gloss on the tire track.
Shea says
Hello John. For epoxy coated floors that are still in sound shape but have lost their luster, the easiest way to bring it back is to ad a top coat of clear epoxy or polyurethane. It’s not difficult to prep. It requires roughing up the surface with either a black pad on a floor maintainer or sanding with 80 grit sandpaper or sanding screed. Clean up the dust and wipe it down with denatured alcohol and you are ready for the coat.
Our recommendation would be a coat of polyurethane. It has a longer pot life than most epoxies, it can be rolled on out of a paint tray, and it will provide a very durable and glossy finish to your floor.
Richard says
A standard acrylic sealer seem to last about 2-3 years before another coat is required. What is the expected life of a MMA sealer before another coat is necessary?
Shea says
Under similar conditions, MMA sealers have been known to last twice as long or more than standard water based acrylic sealers. Of course the time is relative to the conditions the sealer is put under.
Dan says
Getting ready to put up a new garage and I am very interested in the MMA sealer. What would be the best method to finish the concrete floor in preparation for an MMA sealer?
Shea says
Hi Dan. A normal hand troweled finish works fine. If you machine trowel it you will need to acid etch the surface first before applying the MMA sealer.
John says
I have used epoxy coatings in previous garages, but the cost of the MMA sealer is so much less with about the same protection. If it needs a re-coating in a few years, can this be applied on top of the existing coating or does the floor have to be stripped (if that is even possible) and re-preped?
Shea says
Hi John. Just to eliminate some confusion, an MMA sealer does offer good protection, but it’s not the same protection as a quality epoxy. That said, you do not need to strip the old coating to reapply. Just makes sure it’s clean first then reapply.
GARY THOMPSON says
Could you recommend a contractor in the Indianapolis area for either of these products:
https://allgaragefloors.com/acrylic-garage-sealer/
https://allgaragefloors.com/diy-garage-floor-sealer/
Shea says
Hello Gary. Since Legacy Industrial sells this product, I would recommend contacting them to see if they have installers in your area that they sell to.
Bennett says
For new construction home, what sort of prep work would be involved before applying this sealer to garage? Would acid etching be necessary?
Thanks!
Shea says
Many times all that is required is a thorough cleaning. At most, a light acid etch may be required. It depends on how well your concrete currently absorbs water. Legacy Industrial can give you the specs on what would be required based on your concrete characteristics.
Jamey Licata says
Great article! Looking at the Legacy Industrial website, their MMA acrylic sealer looks likes its around 250 dollars for a five gallon container. Looking around the interweb I’ve found two other MMA acrylic sealers for a lot less. Can you tell me if you’ve heard of any feedback on the quality of these other products, and do they seem like similar products?
Concrete Sealers USA – TS203 MMA SB-25 Acrylic sealer for around $ 180 for five gallons
Southern Stain and Seal – SurfKoat MMA-25 Acrylic sealer for around $ 138 for five gallons
Thanks!
Jamey
Shea says
Hello Jamey. It’s not always easy to judge acrylic sealers since they are not subjected to quite the same type of testing as resinous coatings. However, most do have ratings for chemical resistance and stain resistance in the TDS sheets provided by the manufacturer. You can usually get this information if you request it or call and ask what the ratings are.
Legacy Industrial has the both the HD-6525 MMA and HD-6600 MMA which does even better against salt, de-icing fluids, and outdoor use. We know their product is used extensively in Alaska at fishery plants. Give Concrete Sealers USA a call and ask about their product as well. We have spoke with them on a few occasions and they are very happy to provide info about their product. We haven’t dealt with SurfKoat, but we recommend doing the same. Many times there is a reason for large price discrepancies in this market and the TDS information may reveal that.
Steve mcbeth says
Where can I buy your hd6525 sealer? Can it be put over current light coat of water based acrylic on garage floor
Shea says
Hi Steve. We don’t sell product, but you can find the link to the sealer in the article. You can also find it here. The HD6525 is a solvent based MMA acrylic sealer and cannot be applied over a water based acrylic however. It will soften the water based acrylic and cause all kinds of issues. You would need to remove the water based acrylic first in order to use it.
Robert O says
Perhaps I missed this question above and please excuse my ignorance on the topic….however, I live in Mid-Wisconsin and the salt run-off from cars is problematic….will this sealer specifically address the caustic interaction of the salt and the concrete? If not, which do you recommend?
Shea says
Yes it will Robert. In fact, Legacy Industrial has HD660 which is a version of the same product, but has an even higher resistance to salt water. You can find it here.
Jim siwula says
i am thinking of using a produst like HD6525-MMA™ with it seems to be be similar to what i am looking for. i was originallly thinking of using tlppc but cant seem to find that product. i am looking for an abilty to add moderate protection to the flor and give a darkened glossy appearance. its for a garage in a new construction home. My question is does it make sense to use a densifier with a a product like this? Does provide a benefit still, or cause any potential issues?
Shea says
Hello Jim. Unless you have some issues with needing to harden your concrete, you don’t want to use a densifier in conjunction with an MMA sealer. If you did, you would need to grind the concrete after application of the densifier. The reason is that the densifier would inhibit penetration of the MMA sealer in order to create a mechanical bond. If you have other question regarding HD6525, we recommend contacting Scotty at Legacy Industrial. He is an excellent resource. Regarding TLPPC, it was a good product that fell victim to a bad batch that left vendors reluctant to carry it.
Scotty says
We (Legacy Industrial Corp.) recently added a (35) color palette to this product for customer’s looking for a solid color vs. clear. In addition, due to the success of HD6525-MMA, we have lowered the price by $30.00 per 5 gal unit.
Soon a translucent formula will be available giving the user more color options!
Ercle F. Herbert says
Scotty, I don’t see the tints on your web page. Can you point me to them?
Shea says
Hello Ercle. We noticed just the other day that the color tint options are not listed anymore. Scotty doesn’t monitor comments on our website for his company unless we notify him of something in particular. We suggest contacting him here and ask him directly.
Adam says
First, thanks for all the great information throughout this website.
I am in the middle of the floor prep stage of my 900-square-foot garage project. I’m mechanically preparing it (as explained in the guide on this website). Given that I am taking this approach on floor prep, should I be at all concerned about this sealer’s thickness as compared to Nohr-S or epoxies, or will the 2-3 coats be enough to overcome any grittiness and allow the floor to be fairly smooth once complete?
Shea says
Hello Adam. There is a big difference between the two products you are referring to. An MMA acrylic sealer can’t be compared to the superior protection and durability of the Nohr-S coating. How do you plan on using your garage?
Adam says
I don’t think I phrased that well. I guess what I was trying to ask was whether, following the mechanical grind and cleanup, the acrylic primer will have enough thickness, following 2-3 coats, to overcome the gritty sandpaper feel left behind from the grinding to create a smooth surface?
It is a light duty garage, primarily storage with occasional tinkering and project work.
Shea says
OK, that makes sense then Adam. Yes, the acrylic primer will work nicely with the grind if you are doing 2-3 coats. Just remember that it’s “thin to win” when applying acrylic. Don’t apply a single thick coat or you will get curing issues.
Ron Rossio says
Is there an anti-slip agent available for The Acrylic sealer HD6525-MMA? Can you recommend other clear seal coatings? I saw something from Rust bullet (Duragrade Clear). Would this be compatible with the waterbase “DeltaDye Concrete Stain?
Regards,
Ron
Shea says
Hello Ron. Yes, Legacy Industrial sells Soft-Skid as an option for both their HD6525 and HD6600 MMA acrylic sealers. DuraGrade clear will work well with Delta Dye also. Just make sure your concrete meets the requirements for application without concrete prep if that is your intention.
Mike says
I have a saw cut concrete floor for crack control. Do I need to do anything with the saw cuts before I seal the floor? Also, I am considering a matte finish. Does the matte finish have slip resistance equivalent to the sand additive?
Shea says
Hi Mike. No, the saw cuts do not require any special treatment before sealing the floor. Some people like to fill the joints with SikaFlex afterwards, but that is up to you. The matte finish you can get with the additive will make it slightly less slippery than the gloss, but it will not reach the same slip resistance as adding a slip resistant aggregate.