Sealant or impregnator - Protection from bird droppings

[WTC]

I have had a patio laid and within 24 hours it is covered in bird droppings as my neighbour feeds the pigeons. The paving is Marhsalls Saxon paving in buff colour. Should I use a sealant or an impregnator to protect the patio.

Thank you

[London Stone Paving]

I would use an impregnator every time. They will still absorb into concrete. The technology has moved on now and I'm not sure that sealants have a place anymore. All I ever seem to hear about sealants are the horror stories

Steve

[Paul Miller]

Further to the OP's message. I will shortly be replacing my old Fossil Mint Sandstone paving with some something similar. The reason being is that the once vibrant colours are now completely black due to lichen and no amount of jet washing will remove it. They are as bad, if not worse than the examples shown on the website. My own fault really as the paving was never sealed.

My question is, while I read about stain prevention, will the impregnating sealants prevent the dreaded black spot from occurring.

[lutonlagerlout]

paul, have you tried roger's jollop

right down the bottom of this page

make it stronger and the lichen gets zapped

LLL

[WTC]

Thanks Steve,

Could you recommend a product please? (Sorry if that's not allowed on this forum). I don't have any experience of paving and am struggling to know which product I need.

Wendy

[lutonlagerlout]

lithofin MN stainstop
dry treat

are 2 very good impregnators that I have used

LLL

[Paul Miller]

Hi LLL. Sadly, the old flags have now gone to the great skip in the sky - all bar a few I have kept to use as stepping stones so that I'm not walking mud/sand into the house.

As for the impregnators. Will this type of sealant prevent the black spot / lichen ?

[London Stone Paving]

Thanks Steve,

Could you recommend a product please? (Sorry if that's not allowed on this forum). I don't have any experience of paving and am struggling to know which product I need.

Wendy

Hello Wendy

There is a bewildering array of sealants and impregnators available. Some very good ones and unfortunately some very bad ones.

Dry Treat Stain Proof would always be the one I would recommend first. Its not cheap to buy but in the arena of impregnators you generally get what you pay for.

Lithofin Stain stop is another option that comes in a bit cheaper than the Dry Treat.

Are you planning to apply it yourself? If so, drop me a PM with your email address and I will email you across our PDF guide to sealing.

Steve

[London Stone Paving]

As for the impregnators. Will this type of sealant prevent the black spot / lichen ?

The answer to that question would be yes. Periodic cleaning will also help to keep lichen at bay.

Like anything, stone requires maintenance to keep it looking tip top

Steve

[mrpvs]

Sorry to hijack the thread , but I asked this on mine and never got an answer - Would you recommend sealing the flags I laid (pics in the other post)
they are wickes buxton textured , just wanna get the best I can from them and not pick up any stains etc , Probably swaying towards the impregnator from what I read above , would it be suitable for the job ? Cheers .

[London Stone Paving]

Just read your thread again, sorry missed that question.

Yes, definitely go for the impregnator. Costs more than a cheap sealant but you get what you pay for.

Make sure you go for a colour enhancing impregnator. Dry treat enhance and Lithofin stain stop plus are the best two IMO

Steve

[mrpvs]

Cheers Steve , is there anything I should watch out for during application , or is it straight forward ?
I like the sound of the colour enhancer as they look so much better when they are wet .
One last question , after applying the resin mortar , there's still a greasy film on the flags , when I hose them and sweep it foams a bit , I know this will go with time ,
However what do you think about sealing them so soon , shall I wait till everything comes off naturally , or keep hosing and scrubbing ?

[London Stone Paving]

There are some very important rules to follow, but as long as you follow them its a straight forward process.

If you PM me your email address I will send you over one of our sealing guides. They are very detailed and cover every eventually

I wouldnt recommend continually hosing and scrubbing. Give it a few weeks and the residue will come off on its own

Steve

[mrpvs]

Cheers Steve