Types of Sealants

The 4 main types of sealants are:

The polyurethane sealants are much more reliable and offer longer protection, albeit at a slightly higher cost. Whilst some of the cheaper acrylic sealants are simply glorified varnishes.

The top quality products can repel oils and paints, including light fuel oils such as petrol and paraffin, prevent staining and effloresence, and virtually eliminate weeds. More importantly from a structural point of view, they bond the jointing sand to reduce loss through erosion. Some sealants have no visible effect on the appearance of the paving whilst most impart a permanent 'wet-look', with either a gloss or a matt finish.

Uses for Sealants

Sealants are proving their worth in more and more areas of the paving industry, but it is important to use the right sealant for any given type of paving. A sealant that has been developed for use with PIC may not be suitable for patio flagstones, and some surfaces, such as granite or quarry tiles, may not benefit at all from the application of sealants.

"We have two products that are particularly suitable for this purpose, the first is Resiblock Ultra Matt (low sheen finish) and the second is Resiblock Ultra (wet-look finish). Both of these products are based on aliphatic TDI technology and provide outstanding resistance to a wide range of household chemicals whilst remaining totally light stable (critical where part of the flooring is exposed to daylight and part is in shadow).
 
The only caveat being is that if the floors have been pre-treated with another sealer, particularly one which is silicone based, then our material may not properly adhere to the pre-treated surface.
 
Both provide very attractive aesthetics and can withstand regular cleaning with household and janitorial chemicals."

Conclusions

Whether these sealants represent a good investment for residential paving can only be determined by the client, but some will consider it a small price to pay to protect and preserve their paving.

For small areas of staining on unsealed projects, it is often a simple task to replace individual stained blocks as and when required. Please call us for advice on this procedure.

The benefits of a 'Resin Coat'

Resiblock Superior is a unique transparent sealer for concrete block paving which not only enhances its appearance but seals it to prevent oil stains and eliminate weed and grass growth. Its unique formula penetrates deeply into the blockpaving and the jointing sand, binding sand particles together, forming a flexible polymer coating which protects the blockpaving and jointing sand from the natural elements and power cleaning, proven resistance to tyre marking, prevents fading and the sealed surface is easy to clean. Proven performance in the most demanding situations: Resiblock also contains a fungicide that actively restricts and deters the development of algae and lichen, and stops ants nesting.

Resiblock has been succesfully used at:

• RAF Bases
• City Councils
• McDonalds
• London Underground
• International Airports
• Ministry of Defence
• Safeway Stores PLC
• Taylor Woodrow