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) 

Choosing your paving and pointing products

... with a bit of know-how and careful planning the hardest part is likely to be choosing what paving you want.

Having spent 7 years as the Manager of a large paving display and landscaping centre I know all too well that deciding what you want is the hardest job of all!

You may come in with an idea in mind then you see the variety of Natural and man-made paving that’s available and ‘POW!’ you are stumped.

I always used the 3-visit rule. The first visit is just mind boggling, the second visit is one of definite separation of likes and dislikes and the third visit is the day you choose and order.

Taking the time to choose the right paving certainly has its benefits long term and choosing the right pointing product is the next decision to make.

If you are laying the patio yourself the last thing you want is to spoil the whole look by getting cement stains on the paving by using traditional mortar joints badly.

There are various methods used by professional Landscapers to apply traditional mortar joints and as they are professionals with years of experience they make it look easy.

If you are a DIYer or a seasoned professional you could do a lot worse than using the new types of compounds that are widely available such as Azpects EASYJoint.

The benefits of using EASYJoint over traditional methods of using mortar are loosely speed and durability. Using EASYJoint is at least 10 times faster than using traditional mortar.

Traditional mortar will also crack in time and allow weed growth and frost damage to occur whereas EASYJoint is a flexible compound which can resist freezing conditions and so far tests show that joints pointed with compounds such as EASYJoint can last more than 15 years.

Did you know that using a sweep in compound is virtually fool proof? -  In fact, if all the preparations are correct and specifications met you will end up with a lovely job, with just the possibility of a slight sheen left on the surface, which should weather off over time.

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

Click here for Part 2

For more information on our range of products go to: azpects.co.uk