Weiss ft plus on blue black limestone.

[stuartchippy]

Hi, I'm new here.

Sorry if this has been covered but I couldn't find an answer with the search function.

I've just had 30 square metres of blue black limestone laid and am looking for a colour enhancer to use to bring out the black colour. Ive read the tests and reviews on the pavingexpert website and had decided to go for Weiss ft plus, however when contacting the distributor they advised me I couldnt use it on paving laid on a standard sand and cement base.

Has anyone got any experience on using it on limestone laid like this and is it just the companies way of getting you to buy their expensive water permeable mortars? If not can anyone tell me if the romex colour seal can be used?

Thanks in advance,

Stuart.

[Tony McC]

I'm never sure what goes on at Weiss/SteinTec HQ. I know the two parts are now operating more independently of one another, but there's still a worrying amount of contradiction oozing out of Thurrock.

When I did the limestone recovery trials back in 2011, they were all for the FT Plus and the FT Brilliant. Later, the enthusiasm dwindled and the word was that only paving laid on the expensive SteinTec trass bedding was suitable for FT products. However, plenty of folk continued to use them with the more familar sand+cement bedding and I didn't hear of any problems.

Last month, I started to sealant trials and specified the aim was to offer guidance to those using a typical patio/driveway construction, which, rightly or wrongly, is predominantly a sand+cement mortar bed of some description. Guess what Weiss sent along for consideration? You got it! FT Plus!!!

So, we are no clearer as to whether FT Plus is suitable for use with mortar bedded stone or not, and you must make your own decision, or you coulkd go with teh Romex which they willing sell regardless of what you've laid, how you've laid, who laid it, or when.



Edited By Tony McC on 1437481153

[London Stone Paving]

I'm also confused by it Tony to be honest. I cant see any reason whatsoever why a sealant product would not be suitable when installed on a material that had been laid on a mortar bed.

[PavingSuperstore]

We were looking to sell their products a few years ago, but they said the same thing and we decided it was just too complicated for most DIYers and some contractors - no-one is going to change the way they lay their paving for the sake of the sealant. They advised that permeable bases were soon to become the norm for all paving projects. Well, here we are a few years later and nothing has changed yet.....

[Tony McC]

Oh, permeable beds and bases will come about.....eventually. It won't be this decade, and I doubt it becoming the de facto installation method before I take on that big job re-paving outside the pearly gates, but it will at some point become the norm becaus eit makes more sense with sustainable drainage systems.

And precisely because sustainable drainage systems have not yet been as widely adopted as they should have been, there is no pressure to move towards permable pavement sub-layers. That, and the fact that the correct bedding ametrails for such constructions are ridiculously, stupidly, massively overpriced.

As was (and still is) the case with Type 3 DTp for permeable block pavements, the aggs for permeable bedding layers are being priced to be just beyond reach because that's what best suits the cement and agg businesses at the moment.

[simonm]

Hi Guys,

First, I'd just like to say thanks to you all for the great info I've got out of the site over the last few years!

Now, before I go and bugger up my already faded black limestone patio, I thought I'd just check for the latest advice.... I've laid it on a sharp sand/cement, and in some places (where the flags popped off) SBR slurry bed.

I'm now ready to seal/enhance the stone, and point the joints, would it be best to seal first to try and reduce picture framing?

Thanks in advance

Simon