The Sealing or Re-sealing of Indian and Natural Stone Driveways and Patios

The Sealing or Re-sealing of Indian and Natural Stone Driveways and Patios

We spend an awful lot of money on our driveways and patios, and we want them to always look fantastic but for this to be the case we need to look after them constantly. I have done several blogs about how to clean Indian and Natural Stone, Block Paving Patio and Man Made Paving and Artificial Grass but now it is time to concentrate on after they have been cleaned and making sure they look like new, and this is done by applying one coat of solvent based sealer to enhance the colours and protect for a period of 2.5 – 3 years.

I will explain how we achieve this without too much hard work. There are some great professionals as well if you are unable or unwilling to apply these products yourself. A very fair price for a job well done but as mentioned in previous blogs do your homework because there are too many who are only after the money.

If this is a new application, you need the Indian/Natural Stone to have been laid 6 – 8 weeks if the joint filling process has been done with sand and cement or Joint-It joint Filler. We suggest 10 – 12 weeks if you have used Resiply joint filler. This is because it can leave a thin film of resin that looks like it has been thinly sealed, but it has not, we need the time for this to wear away naturally then we can seal it.

You can see clearly that I have mentioned only three joint fillers because we have sold these products for many years and they work well with our sealers, as for the other makes out there I cannot answer those questions.

We have got to mention that if you are re-sealing any of the substrates in our sealer range be extremely careful that you test the surface with a product called Xylene to make sure that our range of sealers will adhere with no reaction like chicken skinning or discolouration and peeling. This can happen if alternative sealers like water based, or silicone-based sealers have been used previously. There is little comment about this but it’s can cause a whole load of problems if a reaction takes place.

 So, the cleaning process is done, and the weather of the day is good, the temperature is high enough and no rain forecast.

REQUIRED TOOLS

You will need the following depending on your choice of application:

Soft Bristled Brush, Broom – You can use a soft bristled wooden brush, not acrylic bristles they will melt. This is the cheapest way, but we find that it can be streaky and wasteful.

Roller Kit CompleteThis is the best option, a little bit dearer but with the bucket and roller it is much easier to apply and gives an even coating.

Light Pressure Sprayer – This is the most expensive option, but it is much easier on the body when applied and if cleaned will last for many years when sealing is required at later dates.

Paint Brush 100mm – This is necessary for the edges that may cause you problems with the other applicators. You would use this first around the edges and in tight areas.

Gloves, Goggles and Face Mask – These are necessary for whatever choice you make above to protect you from splashes or spillages that may end up on your skin which can burn, or in your eyes which would need immediate washing out. The face mask is to protect you against the solvent in the sealer which is quite pungent and can cause breathing issues but outside in the open environment there is little to worry about.

SEALER

The sealer for this application is our Natural and Indian Stone Sealer. When purchasing this sealer, we have made the process easy for you, when you click on the product you will be asked if you want Gloss – semi wet look enhancing shine or Satin/Matt – Dulled enhancing finish. You should only apply one coat of sealer to the stone, any more will cause issues that I have explained further down the blog. Our sealer will cover 4 square metres per litre and it comes in 5 litres, 10 litres, 20 litres and 25 litres.

We are now ready to apply our Natural and Indian Stone Sealer. You would have already chosen either Gloss – Semi wet look shire and enhancer or Satin/Matt – Dulled finish with enhancement. May we just comment at this moment that there is no physical difference between their two products when it comes to how slippy it may be. They are the same. The slippiness comes from over sealing and/or leaving too much product on the surface. No substrate should have slippiness issues if applied correctly and to the instructions supplied.

You can download the process from our website www.swiss-seal.co.uk on Natural Stone Cleaning Sealing Process (swiss-seal.co.uk) but I will also explain the process below. Firstly, the different application process details:

  1. Paint Brush 100mm – The best way of keeping the area to be sealed free from mistakes like brushing onto a wall or door or splashing flower beds and such like is to use the paint brush all around the edge of the sealing area possibly 4 – 6 inches into the area to be sealed then
  2. Broom or Brush – Simply open the container that you have chosen based on your square meter area needed to be sealed. Pour into a bucket or similar with enough depth to submerge the bristles on the brush. Pull the brush out and with a back and forward motion brush the solution onto the surface. Make sure you spread it as evenly as you can, then move to the next section. Repeat this process till the area is fully covered with the sealer.
  3. Roller Kit Complete – Pour the sealer into the 15-litre shuttle which is part of the kit, make sure there is enough sealer to cover the roller head. Then attach the extendable handle to the metal frame and screw the roller in place in the head. Submerge the roller into the sealer and pull out onto the surface soaked. Then with a back-and-forth movement you can see that you are spreading the solution around. When the roller loses its moisture repeat the process till the whole area is sealed

Light Pressure Sprayer – This as mentioned is the dearest form of application but by far the easiest. Simply unscrew the plunger of the 8-litre sprayer and fill to 2/3 of the bottle. Then replace the plunger and tighten then plunge the plunger 20 – 30 times to pressurize the unit. When this is done point the nozzle of the sprayer at 45’ to the surface area about 400mm – 450mm above the ground and press the trigger. The sealer will come out in a fan shape, and you just move along as you see it cover the surface. Repeat the process till the area is sealed.

ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE AFTER SEALING

What this section refers to are issues that can happen if the procedure is not followed to the letter. You will have no problems if you do it as it says and we will explain why:

Blooming – This occurs when either the concrete block is not perfectly dry or that it has rained during the curing period of 10 – 14 hours. This is more annoying than damaging because there is remedy to it. It is called Bloom Remover. Follow the link for more of an explanation and application details basically the sealer will turn white and look damaged or faded.

Salt Issues – This is a situation that happens if the sealing process is done too soon. We recommend that all substrates are left 6 – 8 weeks before sealing to allow any natural salts to escape and wash away naturally. It is fair to say that a number of these products may be kept outside at the merchants of stone suppliers and already be washed through, but this just makes sure it has. Again, to get rid of the issue we turn to Bloom Remover.

AFTERCARE

There is very little you need to do with regards to aftercare. Every so often it would not be a bad idea to jet wash the surface, not too strong. This will remove moss. Algae and other loose impediments that are sat on the surface of the sealed area. Remember that every 2 years or so re-seal the surface with Our High Solids Imprinted Sealer/Renovator or better still Our Coloured High Solids Imprinted Sealer/Renovator.

I have added several blogs bespoke to individual substrates to understand and apply the relevant sealer that substrate (Natural Stone. Indian Stone. Block Paving, Man-Made paving, Slate and Granite. Brick and Stone) needed to be used.

They are available on our website www.swiss-seal.co.uk.

REMEMBER THERE ARE OPTIONS TO ADD COLOUR TO MOST OF THE ABOVE MATERIALS IF THEY ARE FADING AND LIFELESS

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