Romex colour seal - Black limestone restore

[1963]

Hi,
I have a black limestone patio (well a sort of steel grey colour) so I am looking for a product to restore the colour and seal the stone.

Having looked at your article/test I thought I would get Romex Colour Seal but haven't been able to find a supplier can someone tell me where I can obtain it?

Also, I want to ensure that the patio is completely clean before application so is there a good cleaning product you would recommend or what should I use? I have used washing up liquid in the past which didn't seem to do any harm but wasn't particularly effective either.

Thanks very much in advance for any help and advice.

Also if someone is knowledgeable and experienced in this sort of job and wants to do this job for me, and is in travelling distance of Colchester, do let me know and we can discuss.

Cheers
Steve

[Fife Lass]

Hi, my husband and I are also 'victims' of laying black limestone paving. Had we known about and read this website before buying the black limestone, we wouldn't have touched it with the proverbial barge pole but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I don't know how long your paving has been down but I will tell you our experience with it.
We laid aproximately 15sq.mt of black limestone (various sizes) paving in our front garden. We immediately saw unsightly white marks on some of the slabs and not all were effloroscent. Once the area was all set and dried out, we washed and washed it with hot soapy water (Fairy Liquid) which maybe helped a little but not a lot. It got even worse when passing seagulls decided to leave a few 'messages' and we had to scrub it off before it got ingrained. It was only then that I started to check on the internet and found this site and some of the people's stories were a lot worse than mine. I read about the different sealants and we decided to go down that route. However, the experts advised to wait 6 months or longer until all the marks had faded and all the paving was the same colour.
It is exactly 1 year since we laid our paving and all the marks have gone and it is now all the same colour (a steel grey, no longer black) so I returned again to this website for advice on sealants and something to bring back the natural colour of the limestone. One product had excellent reviews - Miracle Sealants 511 Seal & Enhance. We bought it and applied it to the whole area last weekend (all paving must be bone dry with no rain the past 2-3 days or rain due afterwards). It was very easy and simple to apply and, thankfully, a little goes a long way because it is expensive. We bought a 946ml container from Amazon for £77.90. Our 15sq.mt has been given two coats and it looks AMAZING. The whole area is back to black and is sealed so the seagulls can do their worst.
I don't know how large an area you have but we still have aproximately a quarter left. I would advise to be patient though and just keep washing the area with hot soapy water and use a stiff bristle brush and wait until nature does her job and any unsightly marks disappear before you use an enhance or sealant. I'm glad we waited a year.
However, if I knew at the beginning what I know now, we would never have bought black limestone in the first place. Good luck.

[1963]

Thanks very much Joan. have you got any before and after pictures of the results you got with Miracle Sealants 511 Seal & Enhance?

Our paving has been down for 18 months and is pretty much a uniform steel grey, so just needs to be thoroughly cleaned and enhanced and sealed.

cheers
Steve

[RAPressureWashing]

Fife Lass, I think we spoke of the phone about your Limestone? Glad it worked out, and yes the 511 Enhance & Seal is an excellent product for Black Limestone, re the before & after photos, there are some here on my site
https://www.pressurewashingcleaning.co.uk/limestone-cleaning/

[1963]

Thanks R&A - do you get out as far as Essex?

[RAPressureWashing]

I don't but do know someone that covers your area, and if you wanted could do this for you?

[Fife Lass]

Hi Steve

Sorry, It wasn't until after we had used the Miracle 511 Enhance & Seal that I thought we should have taken before and after pictures. Like yours, our whole paving area was a uniform steel grey but, thankfully, all the white marks had gone. We just gave the area a wash with hot soapy water to clean it all, let it all dry again, then used the solution on it.
I taped a notice on our front gate to stop people coming in and walking on it until it was dry and also tied the gate shut with string lol. Our usual postie handed in our mail to my next door neighbour lol.
I actually bought the Miracle 511 applicator tool to use but my husband (after testing the stuff on a spare bit of limestone) just used a 3inch paintbrush to apply it to the whole area and it went on no bother at all. Work it in well and don't leave any pools of it lying on the paving.
Our area was aprox 14sq.mt, we gave the area 2 coats and have still some left over. It's been well admired by the neighbours. Good luck with yours.

[1963]

Thanks Joan,

I am going to take some before pictures now before I forget!