A penetrating sealer soaks into the surface and works from inside it. Nothing sits on top, so the finish looks like the material always did and the grip underfoot does not change. That is what goes on broomed concrete driveways and clay pavers — surfaces that are either already textured or already smooth enough that adding a film would make them slick.
A film-forming sealer sits on the surface as a layer. It brings the color up, gives the wet look people want on decorative work, and takes the wear itself instead of letting the surface take it. That goes on stamped concrete and concrete brick pavers, where the pattern and the color are the whole point of the installation.
The wrong one is not a matter of taste. A film on smooth clay is a walkway that gets dangerous in the rain. A penetrating sealer on stamped concrete leaves the owner wondering what they paid for. This is settled at the estimate, standing on the surface.
Three days on the property, and a trip back once it has cured.
Not a rinse. Sealer bonds to what is underneath it, so anything left on the surface — dirt, algae, old sealer breaking down — is what the new coat sticks to instead of the material. Skip this and the sealer fails early no matter how good it was.
Old sand and whatever has rooted in it gets knocked out. Seal over a joint full of weeds and the weeds are now under a coating, and getting them out means taking the sealer off.
The paver type decides the sand. Joint width, paver material and how much movement the surface sees all change what belongs in there — the Nashotah clay walkway took polymeric, which sets up hard and holds the joint against the next crop of weeds. Then a plate compactor over the whole run so it settles into the gaps rather than bridging across the top.
The sealer chosen at the estimate goes down once the sand has set and the surface is dry. After it cures we come back and put water on it. It should bead and roll off. If it does not, the job is not finished, and you should not have to be the one who notices.
Not always. Sealing slows staining and keeps the joints stable, and on the right surface it brings the color up. But it is not maintenance every surface needs, and if the answer is no you will be told that at the estimate.
No. Sealing over dirty joints locks in whatever is living in them, and sealing over sand that has washed out leaves the pavers free to shift. The clean and the sand are what make the seal worth doing.
Depends what it is made of. On stamped concrete or concrete pavers, yes — that is what a film-forming sealer is for. On smooth clay brick, no, and it is worth knowing why: a film on a surface that is already slick is a problem waiting for the first wet day.
Very diligent, attention to detail, responsive, does excellent work and a stand up business! Would highly recommend.
Brad did an awesome job on my old, very dirty, moldy, mossy retaining wall. He even took extra care to protect my plants and bushes. Courteous, efficient, prompt, an excellent communicator.
He laid out all the options and services available to me, but I never felt like there was a heavy hand directing me to the most expensive route. The quality was exactly what I was hoping for.
Every rain takes some. Nobody notices until a paver rocks underfoot, and by then the joints either side have been empty for a couple of seasons.
Seed lands, holds water, and roots. Weeds in a walkway are not a weed problem, they are a joint problem, and pulling them does not fix the reason they are there.
Water sitting in an open joint freezes and expands all winter. That is what lifts pavers out of line and opens the seams a little wider each year.
Dirt, algae, or old sealer coming apart — if it is on the surface when the new coat goes down, that is what the coat is stuck to. It lifts early and takes the look with it.
Yes, properly — not a rinse. Sealer bonds to whatever is on the surface when it goes down. Dirt, algae or old sealer breaking apart all become the layer the new coat is stuck to, and it lifts early. The clean is not an upsell, it is the reason the seal lasts.
June through August. Sealer needs a dry stretch to cure properly, and Wisconsin does not offer many of those outside high summer. The clean and the sanding can happen earlier, but the sealing itself waits for the weather.
Three days on the property for a walkway or patio — clean and clear the joints, sand and compact, then seal — plus a trip back once it has cured to check that water beads and rolls off.
The paver decides it. Joint width, what the paver is made of and how much the surface moves all change what belongs in there. Polymeric sand has a binder that sets up hard once wetted, which is what most walkways and patios want — ordinary sand washes back out and the weeds return. It gets picked at the estimate, not off a shelf.
That depends which sealer the surface takes. Stamped concrete and concrete brick pavers get a film-forming sealer, which brings the color up and gives the wet look. Broomed concrete drives and clay brick pavers get a penetrating sealer, which soaks in — the water beads and rolls off, but the surface still looks like itself.
Every job is looked at in person before a number is given. No phone quotes. What changes a price is the square footage, the condition of the joints, and which sealer the material can take.
Send this over and Brad will get back to you, usually within a few hours. Every patio is looked at in person before a price is given — no phone quotes.
Monday–Friday 8:00–5:00Saturday 9:00–4:00 · Closed Sunday and holidays
