This class of pavers, like other types of pavers, are subject to wear by the harsh South Florida environment. The color fades and the surface erodes. Some people are understandably concerned that sealing can make some of these pavers slippery when wet. We have sealers that contain a non-slip agent to address this concern.
Sealing marble, slate and other natural stone pavers has several benefits:
1. Helps to reduce color fading and surface deterioration.
2. Enhances the paver color (we also have an option that will NOT enhance the color if that is what you desire)
3. Slows down algae/mold growth
4. Helps to prevent staining
5. Makes pavers much easier for you to keep clean
We use the finest professional-grade, water-based sealers. These often last 2 to 4 times longer than the sealers available from the big box stores that some use.
We use our professional grade cleaners and equipment here. While we can never guarantee complete removal, we will attack them with everything in our arsenal!
Next we will thoroughly powerwash the pavers. We use our professional grade equipment to remove the ground in dirt, mold/algae and weeds. We often take 2 – 3 times longer than regular pressure cleaners because we need to make sure the surface is as clean as possible before sealing.
At this point we can wet-sand your paver joints if requested (at an additional charge). To be honest, we rarely do this these days. The thinking goes that this “stabilizes” your pavers, but in reality, the primary reason your pavers start moving (become unstable) is because the surrounding concrete border starts to break down, not because your joints lack sand.
Next we will apply the finest water-based sealer to your pavers, tailored to your needs. If you are concerned about potential slip issues, we have sealers with non-slip agents. We also have sealers with and without color enhancement capabilities.
We spray on the sealer precisely (we don’t use rollers), according to manufacturer specs. With these types of pavers it is very important not to over-apply the sealer! Unlike solvent-based sealers that are sometimes used, we can apply our sealers right after cleaning. This allows you to use your pavers again much sooner!
We will apply caution tape to the end of the driveway to block traffic for 48 hours, allowing the sealer to cure.