Why should I seal my interlocking pavers ?

The advantages of a sealed surface is that it  will make  clean up of oil, food, or vegetation stains easier. It will

help stabilize the joint sand from being washed out by rains or heavy cleanings. Help prevent efflorescence (white stains) from occurring or recurring. Help prevent weed and vegetation growth. Darken and brighten the color pigments in your pavers.

RESEALING ---Know What your sealing Over!

Most manufacturers of acrylic sealers recommend re-sealing with the identical product that was used originally or not re-sealing at all, for concerns of incompatibility or weakened bond strength. For your projects that you know have been sealed last with something other than what is currently available, please contact your supplier or the manufacturers of the current product as well as the product last used (if used successfully). It will likely be recommended that you first test a small area and allow it to weather for a while. If the new and old sealers do not bond to each other with enough strength or if they are not bonded strongly to the concrete, that bond will be compromised under the pressure of moisture, sun, and time - sometimes resulting in a whitened film. Evidence of a problem is most likely to develop within a month but will occasionally take longer to identify itself so please allow enough time to pass prior to conclusion of your test results. There is still no agreed reason between chemists and authorities as to why this occurs but the consensus is that it is most directly related to film thickness and moisture vapor pressure, which is why most problems arise shortly after, or during, periods of excessive precipitation.

It is also debated whether or not there is, in fact, an identifiable compatibility issue between different acrylic sealers with different resins and different chemistry. There has been no definitive testing that suggests there is a specific incompatibility that results in consistent failure or delamination of any one acrylic sealer when used in conjunction with any other different, particular sealer. However, all resins at various thickness will react to and change differently with their environment. Since two resins may not always respond similarly to things such as sunlight, moisture vapor transmission, foot or vehicle traffic, freeze/thaw cycles, and simply aging, they may begin to “disagree” with each other and result in an overall or partial failure of the system. For example, styrene acrylics are less UV stable than some other acrylic co-polymers or pure acrylics. If a styrene acrylic has been subjected to a year of UV exposure it can discolor and also begin to degrade. Other resins like methacrylates will be less responsive to change from UV light but also have a different hardness to the cured film. If you were to apply a film of a hard, UV stable sealer, over a degrading sealer whose constantly changing from UV, the two will come to odds with each other and potentially delaminate from one another.

When can I seal my pavers?

Sealing your pavers should not be done prior to 120 days after installation.

How long after it rains should I wait before sealing?

The area to be sealed should be cleaned and allowed to thoroughly dry (approximately 3 days of warm weather) before the application of the sealer can take place. Although pavers may appear dry on the surface, it is very important to wait the prescribed drying time before the application of the sealer.

ProTect recommends 2-3 coats of Kimbol Penetrating Paver Sealer. This is a solvent based sealer and will outlast and out perform most water based sealers on the market.

Will weeds or grass grow in the joints?

If the pavers were installed properly, with the recommended materials and installation methods, a sterile environment to is created that does not allow weeds to grow "through" the pavers. There will still be times when seeds can blow into the top of the joints and start growing in any organic material that has built up in the joints. If this happens, you can normally pull them out very easily or remove them with a topical weed killer spray.

What is that white stuff on my pavers?

Occasionally, some pavers may have a whitish residue upon them. The whitish colored residue is called efflorescence. Efflorescence is a natural by-product from the cement hydration process and can be found in any concrete or mortar product. Calcium oxide inside the paver reacts with water in the capillaries and forms calcium hydroxide. This seeps to the surface, and reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air to form calcium carbonate, a whitish residue. When moisture on the surface evaporates, the white efflorescence becomes visible.

If efflorescence is present, it will wear off over the course of time with traffic and the elements. If you wish to speed up the removal of efflorescence, Protect recommends the Kimbol Efflorescence Cleaner.

Can dirty or broken pavers be replaced? Yes, you can be assured of replacement pavers by keeping extras from the job. When replacing a paver, scrape out the sand in the joints from those surrounding the paver to be removed. Use two screwdrivers to wiggle it out. Others can be removed by hand. Insert the new paver, replace the joint sand, compacting the paver into place with a rubber mallet.

Will freezing and thawing damage pavers? No, damage from ice is virtually non-existent on high quality pavers. The joints allow the pavers to move without cracking in freeze and thaw cycles. Damage can result from certain types of Ice Salt and sealing does help protect your pavers.

Will pavers be slippery when sealed? Typically No, not when a penetrating solvent based sealer is used. However, in situations where the texture of the paver is smooth, a non-slip sealer is recommended to obtain safe traction in pedestrian, vehicular, and pool applications, even when wet.