Water-based sealant products are likely to appeal to anyone sealing paving with the environment in mind – there’s zero glue involved. Water-based paving sealant is also expected to be very cheap and cheerful, mainly thanks to the cost of the material involved in production. Do you want the sealer to be visible once applied to the paving once dried? If you want a non-visible paving sealer it may be wise to use an impregnating sealer. They are called the invisible sealers. Polyurethane sealers are particularly useful in intensive applications, such as at airports. There are joints in the runways and paving – and as you can imagine, high powered propellers will blast much of the filling away. us on 01909 495708 and one of our staff members will be more than happy to provide you with the information needed. Rycal for me has a decent balance between cost and performance Sika and Everbuild. If you don’t want to shell out for the top notch product ergo Smartseal, this is going to do a pretty decent job at half the money. But as always, you get what you pay for in this world and with Everbuild being less money now I find this a tough one to buy.

We recommend you DON'T schedule a painter or decorator until the paint has arrived, couriers rarely make mistakes but they can happen, we won't be held liable for any costs incurred for re-scheduling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s be clear about something. Sika have made a name producing high quality products used commercially, everyday. In my professional life (away from the fun I have reviewing cool products I use), I use Sika products to stop water ingress. I also know people that swear by Sika 4A water stop in the building trade. So when you look at the price point here, and availability in 5 litres, this is a great choice if you want to seal the patio for sensible money. Then of course get any remaining sand up and off the patio – you’ll probably need to wait for this to dry so you can use a soft broom to really clean it up. Apply your patio sealer

Acrylic solvent based sealing take the middleground. They are widely used for simple concrete jobs and offer a softer resin to polyurethane sealers. What might appeal to some paving experts is the cost savings. However, an acrylic solvent-based product is going to be hit and miss. And yes it does what it says, the protection is definitely there – some people use this as a means to stop leaks on stone baths! No questioning the quality of the product against rain then! There’s a big big difference between a wet look and matt and some in between as well. You’ve got wet high gloss, silky semi gloss, matt, and those that don’t change the look at all (specially designed for stunning natural stone). Sometimes a sealer can significantly change the look – for example a wet look on stone doesn’t do it for me. The drier matt look is the better looking for my money – basically it is there protecting and stopping dirt ingress but has very minimal impact on the look of your stone. Sometimes you cant beat what you’ve already got: A wet look patio sealer would not look good so good on natural stone On the whole, experts and manufacturers recommend an acrylic paving sealer for pattern imprinted concrete. As there is colour in the mix, you may need a specialist sealer to protect this surface fully. However, with that said, I know plenty of people that have used this to great effect on sandstone with just a couple of coats but it should be made very very clear, you will lose a bit of the lovely vibrant colour you have.Best glossy wet look for printed concrete driveways and patios: Smartseal Imprinted Concrete Sealer or Adseal To recap, scrape or your old sand (it may contain seeds that’ll ruin the finish) re-grout and if you can see signs of ants I would highly suggest using some form of ant repellant to stop them wanting to come up through their original pathways. Clean your patio thoroughly Make Sure Surface is 100% dry and free from any moisture or contaminants before application. Do not apply if there is any chance of rain. Oil Stain Remover - Everest Trade Oil Stain Remover Efflorescence Remover - Everest Trade Efflorescence and Salts remover

You will have to decide which kind of sealed surface you require for your paving. If you want to be able to see the sealer on the surface of the paving then you need to use acrylic or polyurethane paving sealers. This could be either a gloss, low sheen or matt finish once the sealer has dried. These types of paving sealers will lie on the surface of the paving so they will enrich the colours in the material. Rather like when the paving is wet. These kinds of sealers need to be applied when perfectly dry so they adhere correctly to the paving surface. They also have the benefit of setting the jointing sand hard once dry. If you don’t want the look of permanently wet, low sheen or matt paving and prefer the original, dry look of the paving then use an impregnating sealer to seal the paving. An impregnating sealer works by sealing the pores of the paving rather than the surface. Resin based sealers will seal the surface of the paving completely whereas an impregnating sealer will allow the surface to breathe. External house walls should always be sealed with an impregnating sealer and not a resin based sealer. Being as potent and quality as it is, you want decent PPE. A good face mask will help with the smell. Pros:Power washing is recommended before applying the sealant, although this should be done at least 14 days before sealing to enable the bedding layer and sub-base to dry and allow for any reactive efflorescence to appear, and the lance must be kept at a shallow angle to minimise loss of jointing sand. Two coats of polyurethane sealer is preferred to fully protect the surface against the contamination such as oil, diesel and petrol. Polyurethane resins are not easily dissolved again once they have dried so they give your paving great protection and are long-lasting. When the time comes, you want to make sure you have a decent run of dry weather. Almost all mishaps occur when you don’t have bone dry conditions. So you’ll want to hit this when it makes sense – some jobs such as the weed removal and cleaning can be done in advance. Remove any weeds and use ant repeller if necessary No. Providing you seal your surface correctly, according to the manufacturer, there are zero risks of slipping or skidding after application.