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Dealing with excess Sealer - Always read the instructions

Sealers, learn how to use them properly and they are an added benefit to most paving jobs but get that wrong and you will be in a world of grief!

Fortunately, Azpects Ltd are not happy if their customers experience problems and see it as their moral duty to help find solutions to problems. Two recent applications of EASYSeal SSP and EASYSeal Ultimate ended in near disaster for the contractors for the simple fact that they didn't understand how to apply them and what the consequences would be for getting it wrong.

Both paved areas were laid with six side sawn Indian Sandstone, calibrated to 22mm. Both areas formed parts of very high calibre designed gardens which had both had extensive landscaping to very high standards. The final job on both was to seal the paving to protect its appearance and make it easier to maintain in the future. Unfortunately, on both occasions the contractors left excess sealer on the surface which dried to leave ‘tide marks’ which showed up terribly and spoilt the whole look of the garden.

An artist's impression of the Wizard

As you can imagine, both contractor and client weren't happy bunnies and the finger of blame swung round to the sealer supplier…Us! As previously mentioned we at Azpects don’t like fingers being pointed so we jumped straight on the phone and started to sort it out. Firstly we showed our Wizard the photos and the Wizard confirmed what we thought to be the problem. They then proceeded to mix up a magic potion for us and we trotted off to see the unhappy people. The first patio looked very sad but with a splash of the potion we soon saw that all was not lost and the excess sealer could be removed. We left the remaining potion and trotted away to have a cup of coffee-feeling very pleased with ourselves.

I visited the second site on my own, armed with more magic potion but upon arrival I found there were more than excess sealer problems. The reported ‘tide marks’ had virtually faded away and were difficult to see due to the very light sandstone sucking up dust and dirt and leaving what I call ‘shadow marks’ over some of the slabs. The big downfall with thin paving is that you can almost see through it and any voids under the paving will be very noticeable after a few weeks. (Especially if it’s kept wet due to rain or general watering) With this job I opted to leave the contractor with a bottle of EASY Patio & Deck cleaner. The concentrated formula will help remove any surplus sealer residue (as it’s only lightly built up) and the diluted product will help to clean the shadow marks and go on to help keep things cleaner for months to come.

What’s interesting is that out of these mishaps we get to learn new methods and the quality of the workmanship improves as you can’t get away with cutting corners without being caught out. That’s great news for consumers who pay a lot of hard earned money to get their dream gardens.


Personally I really enjoy the detective work involved in finding the causes of problems and I am in the fortunate position to be working for a great company who’s ethics are the same as mine. We don’t turn our backs on people and we endeavour to help to find solutions when things go wrong. It’s not a case of playing the blame game; it’s about being professional and sorting things out.

Jeff Carter
Customer Support Manager
Azpects Ltd

To seal... or not to seal?

Appying EASYSeal with a roller

Now as many of you are aware, there are many paving sealers on the market and they all do the same basic function- Seal and protect. 

Go into any Builders Merchants or DIY store and you will be offered a selection of different brands so choosing the right one for you can be a bit hit & miss. It’s unlikely that you will know how good your choice is for months as any sealer is good when first applied.

One thing you can usually rely on is the old saying- “You get what you pay for” If you buy a cheap sealer its unlikely to have the same degree of protection as the higher priced brands.
I have to admit that once upon a time I wasn’t a fan of sealers as the information I had at the time didn’t give me much confidence. I was selling plenty of Natural Stone paving and I would never recommend sealing as I didn’t want any comebacks later in life. People saying that it’s all gone wrong and it’s my fault!

What can go wrong? Well try applying a solvent based sealer when the paving is not totally dry or trying to brush or roll on a hot, summer’s day and you will get it ‘wrong’.

I recently had a play with some samples of our new EASYSeal ULTIMATE and EASYSeal COLOUR ENHANCER and I learnt a few things.  Good sealers work! Take EASYSeal ULTIMATE for example. I applied one coat and as directed, I then applied the second coat but alas I had not expected that the first coat would dry so fast and as a result the second coat just ‘sat’ on the top of the stone; after some time the liquid disappeared leaving a horrible Leopard skin effect. The solution to that problem was to apply only one coat system and make it a good one. The next piece of stone I treated had very impressive repelling results, the water just beaded and wobbled about on the surface.

Do I need to seal?  The answer is yes and no (a popular phrase used a lot by our  IT guys).  It’s purely a matter of choice and if you feel better for doing it then great. I would use an invisible sealer if I thought it might help reduce the number of times I needed to clean my patio and I would use an enhancer sealer if the paving looks better when wet/damp.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, sealers will not protect against all things. Animal waste will eat through most coatings and cleaners and bleaches usually have a good go to.

Ask yourself why you want to seal. Do you need to? Will it help? Will it matter if I only do it once?

If it makes you feel better, then do it- but do your homework before you do.  I would always suggest leaving new paving for one season before thinking about sealing as this gives time for efflorescence etc. to calm down. It will also give you a better idea as to what sort of things you may have to seal against.

For more information on our sealers & protectors, visit: http://azpects.co.uk/products.aspx

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager)