If you want to protect your terrace from dirt and make it easier for you to take care of your terrace covering, you can seal terrace slabs using Paver Sealing Orlando. Whether concrete stone, natural stone or paving stone: We show you how to carry out the sealing and what you should pay attention to.
Why seal terrace slabs?
Without a patio cover, your patio slabs are permanently exposed to the effects of weather such as rain, sun or frost. Over the years, these ensure natural weathering of your concrete, paving or natural stone. These include, for example, a typical gray veil (patina) or algae and moss formation. A high level of use and the penetration of liquids and dirt into the pores of the stones also leave traces of use on the terrace over time.
By sealing your terrace slabs, you are giving them a top layer that can protect them from weathering, dirt and unsightly stains. In addition, you can use a sealant to increase the shine and intensify the color of the terrace. How often you seal your patio tiles depends on the weather and how the patio is used. You can find out at which intervals you should renew the seal from the manufacturer’s information on the seal.
Sealing or impregnating terrace slabs!
Impregnation is an alternative to sealing terrace slabs. Impregnation protects your terrace covering from dirt and liquids. Impregnation also makes regular maintenance of the panels easier. The difference between sealing and impregnation lies in the diffusibility (water vapor permeability) of the treated terrace slabs.
When sealing, the capillaries (small cavities / tubes in the stone) are completely closed on the surface. This means that water vapor can no longer escape. A seal is therefore layer-forming. Sealing is therefore only suitable for areas where rising damp is not to be expected.
Impregnation, on the other hand, penetrates the stone and covers the capillary necks on the surface with a transparent film. As a result, the capillary is not completely closed, but only narrowed. The stone thus loses its absorbency, but continues to allow water vapor to escape after impregnation. In winter, the stone slabs are also more frost-resistant.
In principle, the effect of an impregnation lasts longer. Whether your patio tiles are better sealed or impregnated depends on the material of your patio tiles. Impregnation is particularly useful for concrete and natural stones with large pores.
Always take into account the individual processing instructions for your sealant or impregnation. Test your impregnating first on an inconspicuous area or a replacement disk. This will prevent unwanted discoloration and stains on the entire terrace area.
When should one forego sealing terrace slabs?
Your terrace slabs do not necessarily have to be sealed or impregnated. If you prefer a natural look for your terrace slabs or paving stones, you can also do without sealing or impregnation. Many terrace slabs, for example made of concrete block, are already provided with surface protection by the manufacturer. This makes resealing or impregnation unnecessary. In addition, sealing limits the water vapor permeability of the terrace slabs. This can lead to efflorescence and discoloration on the surface.
Sealing and impregnation in comparison
Both seals and impregnations are suitable for all absorbent / open-pored surfaces, such as natural stones or concrete paving stones. Both types of protection are not suitable for polished, glazed and other terrace slabs that have been pretreated by the manufacturer, as well as non-absorbent stones.
| Sealing | Impregnation | |
| Surface | Layer-forming | Penetrates the stone |
| Diffusibility | Impermeable to water vapor | Permeable to water vapor |
| Effectiveness | Shorter protection | Longer protection |
| Optics | Shine and color intensification | usually no changes |
| Price $ / l | From $ 16 / l | $ 6 to $ 40 / l |
Sealing terrace slabs – an overview of the steps
Before you start sealing, clean the patio. Once you’ve applied the sealer, it will take 48 hours to dry.
Make preparations
Check in advance that you have all the equipment and materials for the terrace sealing to hand.
Choose a dry weather period with cloudy skies and no direct sunlight to seal your patio slabs. In addition, there should no longer be any ground frost at night. In this way you can be sure that the stone sealing works as desired in your terrace covering.
First, protect your patio furniture from damage by the acidic patio cleaner. To do this, remove objects made of glass, ceramic and plastic from the terrace or cover them with a tarpaulin. This also includes structural constructions such as metal posts for railings, privacy fences and terrace roofing.
Clean terrace slabs
Liberate your terrace now of coarse dirt. In the first step, sweep away the dirt with a broom. Then clean the terrace slabs thoroughly with a scrubber, water and a basic stone cleaner. Use special cleaning agents such as algae, green scale or cement residue remover for stubborn stains. When using the special cleaners, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for use.
If possible, avoid using a high-pressure cleaner. This roughen the terrace surface due to the excessively high water pressure and increases the surface area for dirt particles to attack. If you still want to use a high-pressure cleaner, use a rotating brush attachment for reduced water pressure.
Let the terrace slabs dry for up to 24 hours after thorough cleaning. Otherwise, the sealant won’t be able to pull in properly and you run the risk of staining and whitish haze.
Seal the terrace slabs
As soon as your patio slabs are completely dry, apply the stone sealer. Use a pressure sprayer, a flat brush or a roller, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions for your sealant. Use a mop with a microfiber cover on smooth surfaces.
Proceed in sections and make sure not to step on the freshly sealed area. Make sure that an even and gapless coating film is created on each plate. Quickly remove excess sealant with a dry cloth to avoid stains and gray haze.
Let the terrace dry and protect it from moisture
Let the sealed patio tiles dry for 24 hours. During this time, you should not go on the terrace. Also, protect the terrace from getting wet. To do this, span a tarpaulin over, for example, square timber. It is important that the tarpaulin does not touch the terrace slabs and that sufficient ventilation is provided. Weigh down the sides of the tarpaulin with stones to protect it from flying off. Make sure not to load the treated area and, for example, not to use dirty flower pots as a base. Also, clean your tools with water immediately after use. So they are ready for the next cleaning and sealing of the terrace slabs.
You need these for your project
- Cleaning supplies
- Impregnating agent
- Water
- Paint tray
- Tarpaulin or similar
- Broom coarse
- Scrubber
- Pressure sprayer
- Cloth
- High pressure cleaner
- Personal protective equipment (work clothes, glasses, etc.)
