The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:35 pm**

Help Advice anybody, please!!

I have just paid (Â£450) for somebody to clean&seal my block paved drive (95m2). Problem is Ive paid and the drive is now a mess. There is sand sealed under the acrylic sealer on the top of the bricks. They came back to try and sort it and told me they would rub in debloomer or some sort of desealer to try and remove the seal. This never worked! The grev paver now also seam to have a shiny glare to them (not sure if this was caused by the de sealer). Anyway the unscrupulus firm refuse to rectify this and Im left with it!

They used a powersprayer to clean and brushed in the sand/sealer.

I am a novice to this but to offset some costs I was hoping to do the job myself. Im hoping I can remove the seal using my dads V powerfull power sprayer - is this the right approach? Im not going to re seal.

Can anybody advice me to what has happened and more importantly how I can rectify?? any advice appreciated

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:13 am**

Go to Trading Standards and file a complaint against these cowboys. Unless TS are aware of them, there's nowt they can do the next time a drive or patio is ruined by these clowns, but if they are already on the naughty boys list, TS might actually do summat about them.

To remove a sealant is not easy, not cheap and not pleasant. It involves a nastikemmickle that dissolves the sealant, allowing it to be scraped off. However, it's not a job for the faint-hearted. 95mÂ² could easily take 2-3 days.

Personally. I'd sue the useless gits that ruined it. I might not win but there's a good chance it would make them think twice before they tried to ruin anyone else's drive.

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:28 pm**

Thanks for the advice.

I actualy got through to the cowboys this morning and they finaly offered me my money back (without removing sealer).

Me and a mate are going to tackle it my ourselfs if we can. What is nastikemmickle? (tried it on google and nothing comes up) Is there an article on this great website to tell me the way to remove the sealer? Or point me in the right direction

Regarding TS etc.. I stupidly trusted a freind of a freind to do the job. I never even got receipt because when I paid (cash) the sealer was tackey and the job looked well. Its only when it dried the problem appeared!!

Cheers - Kevin

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:24 pm**

nastikemmickle = nasty chemical!!

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:19 pm**

Hi Kevwoogs

I'd say you have a nasty job on your hands, Pressure washing won't remove brand new sealer, your only option is to use a chemical cleaning method.
Xylene is generally used to thin Acrylic sealer so this may work, but it really is nasty stuff and I wouldn't recommend it without a "QUALITY" respirator and protective clothing !

Or you could sit it out for a couple of years till it wears off naturally ?

Darren

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:03 pm**

Thanks Darren,

Would this be brushed in?? I found out they used swiss-seal so Im going to contact them tomorrow to see if they can help.

I cant sit it out for 2 years - its a bloody mess!!!

Thanks again.

Posted: **Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:46 am**

You need to find out what type (rather than brand) of sealant was used and that will determine the correct solvent. Basically, is it an acrylic or a PU?

Posted: **Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:55 pm**

As Tony has stated, you need to find out what type of sealer has been used, most of Swiss-seal stuff is acrylic but worth getting it confirmed.
If you can use heat (a hot pressure washer) as well as the chemical, this will help. It will be a very messy job. I have to say that at Â£450.00 to clean, re-sand & seal 95 sq mts is very cheap.

The Brew Cabin

Cleaning block paving gone wrong