If there is one aspect to your project which will deal you grief, sealing is it! The one aspect to your project which will set it off is sealing!
High Gloss Sealers and High Performance Waxes There are sealers and waxes on the market which will give you a six food deep shine. It looks like you can swim in them. Most people want these as the look is stunning. Well folks, you cant get that out of a can! There are a lot of sealers which give a great gloss. The only problem is they do need maintenance. Cleaning, buffing and waxing. Yes, these sealers need some type of maintenence product to wear instead of the sealer. You simply cannot spread these out and expect them to look six foot deep after a month of wear. Talk with a floor care professional. There are sealers and waxes designed to work with chemical stains. These are different from sealers used on pigmented stain. Find out what is recommended and the maintenence required. On light to medium wear surfaces, a monthly cleaning and high speed burnishing will be required. On a heavy traffic surface, this may be required on a weekly basis.
Waxes
Plain wax can offer the best care free surface. The traffic areas can be touched up without stripping the entire floor. A stripping requires only ammonia, water, and a mop. Waxes can be tinted to cover blemishes in the stain. They are easy to work with and do not require Class III hazardous space suits to apply. They can be done by hand on small areas. The drawback to waxes is the matted finish which results. You can take a glossy sealer and put it on broom finished concrete and it will look glossy. The same cannot be said for waxes. They do fade. The color of the chemical stain will not be affected and when a new coat of wax is applied, the color will come right back. Also waxes tend to be slippery when wet. This can be a concern on entry ways and sidewalks.
Sealing of the stain should be given a lot of thought. Do you want a care free surface or one which will require more maintenence. Remember, the grey stuff you started with only requires a bi-yearly washing. Once you make your masterpiece, keep it clean and sealed. It will last longer than you will!