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I have a paved patio which has stone or concrete slabs and in need of protection from stains and general annual growth. Can you advise what is the best product in your range to use?
If you are uncertain whether the flags are stone or concrete I would recommend using our Stone and Slate Protector (link below), this will be ok to use on either surface.
Stone and Slate Protector (SSP)
Drew Palin
This question was asked by
Hi, do you sell ‘sealer repair fluid’ or similar ? My imprinted driveway is coated with your heavy duty sealer and is showing some white patches.
We do, but we just don”t give it a fancy name like other companies, it is just the solvent.
Could you send some pictures over as it is not alway blooming that causes the white patches and there is no point spending money on something that might not work.
Solvent Cleaner & re-emulsifier (SOL)
Drew Palin
This question was asked by
We have cast a garage base 2 weeks ago alas labourer forgot admixture so looking for a penetrating concrete sealer as a waterproofer from rising damp, therefore can you recommend any of your sealers to fill the voids ?
Pretty much any of the sealers will help to stop damp, I have put links to 2 different products, the first is our most popular solvent based sealer for concrete surfaces, the second is a water based based option (no harmful chemicals or strong smell).
Either will be fine to use.
Block Paving & Imprinted Concrete Sealer SP (BPCSP)
Water Based Sealer Gloss (WB34)
Drew Palin
All you can do if the surface becomes slippery in winter, when it is icy, is to treat it as you would with any other areas of paving. Apply some salt to melt the ice, or try using some sharp sand to improve the grip.
In fact, you may find your sealed surface is less slippery in frosty conditions than unsealed surfaces. This is because the sealing prevents moisture entering the paving overnight. It is this moisture which is within the paving that, as it expands in frosty conditions, lifts up through the paving and forms the frosty surface that you notice first thing in the morning. With a sealed surface this is far less likely to happen.
Generally, when a person is concerned about the paving appearing to be slippery, it is because the surface has got a slight sheen and the brain is warning that it may be slippery. In reality this is often not the case.
Sealed paving is widely used throughout the world, not just on driveways and patios, but in shopping malls, shops etc. People are just as likely to slip on another surface as they are to on a sealed surface. Paving would not be sealed if it was potentially hazardous.
Just to put it into context, when comparing a wet sealed surface to wet wooden decking, the area of sealed paving would have a significantly better Skid Resistance Value (SRV) than the wet decking. Equally, a surface which has been sealed is less likely to have algae, moss or lichens on it. It is often these growths, when wet, which produce a surface with a very low SRV, and so sealed paving is likely to have a better SRC than a similar unsealed area, which may have some growth on it.
If you are concerned that the paving will be slippery because of steep incline, etc., than apply AdSeal Low Slip Additive when sealing
If there is any moisture left in the paving [or the sand joints on block paving], this moisture will cause a clouding or whitening of the surface.
This is not a problem and is really easy to remove. The whiteness or clouding is caused by escaping moisture forming microscopic carbon dioxide bubbles which are trapped within the thickness of the resin coating as it is curing.
To remove the whiteness or clouding, simply spray a light coating of AdSeal solvent over the affected areas. This will allow the surface of the resin to soften which will, in turn, allow the carbon dioxide bubbles to escape. The sealer will then re-solidify without any adverse effect.
If the clouding/whitening returns simply repeat the process.
Weed seeds and moss algal spores can still fall onto your paving and germinate, but the surface is unattractive for them as it is not longer damp and porous, and so they are less likely to germinate. Equally, should they germinate there is less likelihood of their roots or filaments to be able to get a foothold on the sealed paving. In any event, weeds moss and algae should now be easy to rinse or brush off.
The short answer is that in 99% of cases, yes, but you must check to be sure.
There are three types of sealer.
The first type is water based which usually can be bought at DIY outlet and some builder’s merchants that supply DIY customers as well as the trade.
The second type is solvent based which is generally used by the trade, as it is much harder wearing and longer lasting than the water based products.
Finally there is Polyurethane which is only very rarely used nowadays on domestic paving If your paving was sealed by a professional contracting company, the chances are that it is a solvent based product, and will be compatible with our sealers.
We would always recommend that you test a small area, and for this you will need a 2 inch paint brush, a small paint scraper, a flat screwdriver and a small plastic or metal bucket to pour the solvent into [you can order a small 1 litre can of solvent from our website].
Choose a small area to test, probably about 200mm x 200mm (8 inches x 8 inches) and in a low wear area, which will still have a good layer of the old sealer on it. In high wear areas, the original sealer may have worn off.
First of all, apply some solvent to the test area with a paintbrush, rub around and agitate briskly with the paintbrush for 5 minutes.
If the sealer has not softened repeat the process and if the sealer still does not soften it is a polyurethane. Unfortunately no sealer, not even another polyurethane, will adhere so you will need to strip it off before starting [please call us for advice on stripping].
If, on the other hand, the sealer starts to soften and become tacky – add a little more solvent, just enough to keep the mixture of melted sealer and solvent as a liquid for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes lightly scrape over the area with your paint scraper or flat screwdriver and look at the end of the material on the end – this will give you the answer.
If the sealer is solvent based it will become a liquid and nothing but a liquid. It may be runny or quite thick, but it will be a liquid. This shows that the sealer has totally dissolved. As the solvent now evaporates, you will see that the sealer gradually becomes more and more tacky and will eventually it will dry completely. This result shows that the sealer is solvent based and, therefore, totally compatible with our sealers.
If, on the other hand, the sealer does not dissolve completely and just softens there will be a soft deposit or gel on the tip on the blade of the scraper or the tip of the screwdriver, but it will not be a liquid. As the sealer has softened or not dissolved completely this indicates that that the original sealer is a water based sealer. The sealer will remain soft and not set to its previous hardened state. This indicates that our sealer is not compatible with the DIY sealer used on your paving.
If using InvisiSeal you will need to strip any existing sealer as InvisiSeal is an impregnator and any pre-existing seal will reduce its ability to prenetarte into the paving
It is advisable to keep pets in whilst applying the sealer and for an hour or two thereafter as contact with uncured sealer can cause irritation.
Once the sealer has dried it will have no harmful effects on people or pets. Avoid spilling or spraying into fishponds as solvents are detrimental to pond life [especially fish].
Most of our sealers are solvent based and so should be handled with caution. But they are not dangerous as such.
We would always recommend that you wear gloves when applying any product and avoid splashes. If the sealer splashes onto the skin, wash off with soap and water as if left can cause some irritation. If the product splashes into the eyes rinse your eyes with copious amounts of water as it can cause irritation.
We must add that if symptoms or irritation persist you should seek medical advice. Once dry it will have no harmful effect and is completely inert. You will find full Health and Safety information on the download section of this website.
