To begin with, always sweep clean the paving blocked area of patio or driveway that is to be sealed. Then inspect your block paving for damage. If you need to replace any cracked, chipped or damaged paving blocks then now is the time to do this. Always try to replace old block paving with a similar looking block paving type so the pavior doesn't stand out. If you need to buy new paving bricks then you can buy block paving here. Then before you apply a block paving sealer decide if your paving needs to be cleaned with a cleaning fluid, if so is it:
Moss and weeds - Then a fungasidal wash to kill the weeds, algae and moss. You need to apply a weedkiller to the driveway or patio block paving a few days before you clean the paving blocks to allow the weeds and moss to die.
Efflorecence - A white blooming on the surface of the paving. Try scrubbing with a stiff brush, as often the salts will simply brush off. If not then a gentle scrub with efflorescence cleaner will be needed.
Dirt and stain removal - A good quality de-greaser to remove the paving stains and dirt. In all cases apply the cleaner and then wash off. If you use a high powered jet wash then clean at an angle (30 - 45 degrees) that doesn't remove all the sand in the paving joints. Some block paving may not need to be cleaned, but remember that the sealer will seal the surface once applied and if left with dirt on the flooring surface, the sealer may not be fully absorbed by the paving and worse, the sealer will trap any dirt underneath and may not adhere to the paving surface leading to flaking of thesealer at a later date.
Allow the block paving to completely dry. (the dryer the better). Re-sand the paving using kiln dried sand ensuring all the joints are full and excess sand is swept off the surface of the block paving bricks.(A soft brush is good for this)
TIP. Try to brush in the dry jointing sand on the day you apply the sealer . That way you are guaranteed the sand will be dry. You will have to allow more time to the sealing job as this takes a while.
Applying the sealer - The sealer can be applied to the block paviors using a large roller and tray, brush or block paving sealer sprayer, make sure if the sealer is solvent based to use a vitron equiped sprayer unit. The roller should be of a polyester type. Always wear protective / old clothing. Gloves and a respiratory mask are highly advisable when applying a solvent based block paving sealer. Put enough block paving sealant in the tray to fill but not overflow. It is always best to saturate the surface area to be sealed especially the paving joints but don't allow the sealer to pool. It is always best to apply a second coat of sealer in the opposite direction of the first. That way no areas are missed. This should be done as soon as the first coat of sealer has dried, usually within 4 hours but it is dependant on the weather conditions. Please refer to instructions on timescale for second coats of sealer. Once the application of Block paving sealer is complete, vehicular traffic should be kept off the paving for at least 24 hours. If you need to walk on the paving before completely dry then please wear an outdoor pair of shoes.
Sit back and admire your sealed block paving.
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