Frequently Asked Questions About Sealing Pavers
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No, unlike competitors, it is not necessary to wait. Serveon’s WL400, SD200 and RS800 will prevent efflorescence from occurring. Efflorescence is the reason other sealer manufactures must wait, usually a year, in order for all of the efflorescence to work it way to the surface. Serveon’s sealers prevent efflorescence from reaching the surface.
If the pavers are dirty or have experienced efflorescence before, they should be first cleaned with Serveon’s CL500 cleaner and neutralized with NU100 and then power washed. Power washing will clean out imbedded dirt and particles insuring a good seal.
Yes, all of our sealers are formulated to apply over and bond with wet cast pavers.
If it’s a light rain, 24 hours of dry weather, a heavy rain 48 hours. The surface and subsurface need to be absolutely dry with the exception of SD200. SD200 can be applied on a wet surface as long as there is no standing water. Applying a paver sealer over wet pavers, with the exception of SD200 will usually cause undesirable white blushing/milky spots to appear.
For all sealers except RS800 one coat is sufficient. With RS800, multiple coats can be applied wet on wet. Each coat will make most substrates darker (greater wet look).
Sealers in an unopened bottle or pail will last 12 months, with varying results after that. Bottles or pails of sealer that have been opened will last less; the less product in the container, the faster the deterioration. CL500 the cleaner and NU100 the neutralizer both will last 18 months in an unopened bottle.
The white haze is caused by a reaction of the chemical in the sealer with moisture in the substrate. With the exception of SD200 the surface must be dry when a sealer is applied. When there is too much moisture in the paver the moisture will cause the white haze to appear. This is typical of acrylic based sealers.
NU100, neutralizer should be applied after the cleaner, CL500, or any acid based cleaner has been used.
Yes, the WL series sealers and SD400 are re-sealable, that is, you can apply new sealer over old sealer.
A solvent-based sealer can be applied over another solvent base sealer or a water-base sealer. Thus WL100, 250 (WL400) and WL350 can usually be applied over a competitors sealer. Water-base sealers cannot be applied over solvent based sealers and usually other water-base sealers. If unsure, test in small inconspicuous place.
Absolutely, W100 and WL250 will form a seamless membrane over the sand protecting it from water and vehicles holding it place.
For solvent based products the ambient air temperatures ideally should be 55 – 850 F(10-320C); The ambient limit temperature is 50 – 920. . When surface temperatures are too hot, chemical solvent elements called the carrier will flash off (evaporate) too fast preventing the remaining chemcial elements to form an adequate bond leading to a shorten product life cycle. For water-based sealers ambient air temperatures ideally should be 50 – 950 F(10-350C)
An immediate rain within the first hour will usually cause bonding issues and usually cause undesirable white blushing/milky spots to appear. 1 to 2 hours after application, there may or may not be issues. After 2 hours the chance of issues greatly reduces that being dependent on the amount and duration of the rainfall.
All acrylic based wet look sealers will generally last 2- 3 years before needing to recoated. SD200 and RS800 will last up to five years before needing to recoat and restore their properties (stain resistance, wet look, etc.).
Both types of sealers have pros and cons however considering the technological advances that have been made by Serveon, the two classes of sealants have drawn closer and closer to being equal. The differences and similarities are covered in the Resources section entitled “All About Sealers”.
The easiest method to remove the white haze from acrylic coated sealers, the WL series, is to use xylene. Spray the xylene lightly over the white areas. The xylene will re-emulsify the coating. Additional WL series sealer can be added to the area if desired. Xylene can be purchased at most hardware stores.
All of our sealants protect your stone. Using car paint as an example, automotive paints protect the underlying steel and make the vehicle look nice. Your car, like stone material, must still be washed to remove foreign material that will damage the finish, and leave stains if unattended. We recommend rinsing off your patio/walkway/driveway with garden hose sprayer, or light power washing. For more difficult to remove spills, a gentle neutral cleaner such as Fabuloso can be tried. Never use detergents with de-greasing agents (Dawn liquid soap) as they disrupt the silicone protection in the sealer.
WL350 is a unique sealer. It forms a rich, enhancing wet look on the surface while forming a powerful silicone barrier underneath. It repels water, oils, and most any type of stain and It can be applied to virtually any substrate and is resealable. Application is easy, all that is required is an inexpensive pump up sprayer and is ready for foot traffic in just one hour.
When sealer can be reapplied over itself or over another similar sealer it referred as re-sealable. WL100, WL250 and WL350 can be applied over themselves or each other. This can be handy when a small area needs to be refinished or a large area recoated. SD200, a water-based sealer can also be applied over itself.
Yes, the WL series sealers are great choices.
Yes there are. Old pavers normally will have already experienced efflorescence whereas new pavers have not. Old pavers can use any of Serveons sealers providing they have not been sealed before. New paves should use Serveons two part WL400 so that efflorescence is prevented.
The WL series sealers can make a surface slippery. To reduce the slipperiness, Serveon’s Anti Slip Grip should be added to sealer before application. WL350, wet look, low sheen, may or may not require slip grip as the surface slipperiness tends to wear off within a few days.
The acrylic based wet look WLseries and RS800 when applied in ambient and surface temperatures over 700 can have foot traffic after one hour and vehicle traffic after two hours. SD200 can have light foot traffic after 2 hours and light vehicle traffic after 3 hours.
Slip grip is a micronized polypropylene ideal for adding, structure and non-slip properties to an acrylic coating. It is a powder added to the WL series sealers. It floats to the top of the surface making tiny bumps that form a non-skid surface.
Some stains are just plain tough and stubborn. Sometimes it is necessary to reapply the cleaner to get a tough stain out. Be sure to thoroughly wash/rinse the cleaner off the substrate – do not let the cleaner or cleaner residue dry on the substrate.
Sealers, whether impregnating or film forming, form a barrier that prevents water entry, staining, and the effects of wear and weather. The barrier protects the surface keeping it looking new.
All of Serveon’s sealers with the exception of SD200 will enhance and bring out the rich colors. SD200 leaves a natural look with no color change and very slight sheen.