The Brew Cabin

My patio is crazy-paved with york flagstone and similar natural stone, but I would like to do it up a bit. First there are mortar and cement smears and spots here and there, and , while it looks very attractive when wet, looks dusty and colourless when dry. This might be due to a film of mortar that got over the whole thing when the paving was first (not very well) pointed. I would like to use a product to remove any cement and mortar, then a sealant to bring out the stone colours. Finally, I would like to repoint the whole area, as there is a fair bit of mortar that has broken up and disappeared. i have read about various cement-stain removers and sealants on your very comprehensive and informative pages, but, to avoid any mistakes, could you recommend the most suitable. Also is there any suitable ready made mortar. Many thanks.

To clean up the cement staining, any decent brick cleaning acid as sold at a Builder's Merchant will be fine. Avoid the so called 'Patio Cleaners' which tend to contain a detergent and a bit of perfume to make you think they work better - those in the trade will always use a plain, simple brick-cleaning acid. There are many different makes on the market, but Feb, PLA or Sealotone are all good brands.

However, you have your sequence of operations arse-about. You need to do the repointing first, then the cleaning and finally the sealing.

To do the re-pointing, mix your own mortar - a Class II mortar (4:1) with a bit of added colour if you like, and repair all the joints, not just some of them, or you'll end up with a patchy-looking effort.

I have a deep mistrust of the ready made mortars. They're only sand, cement and plasticiser, measured and bagged, and then you're charge 4 times the going-rate. They are no better than self-prepared mortars.

Give the freshly pointed paving at least 3 days before washing down with the acid. And once you've got it all nice and clean, with properly filled joints, the choice of sealant depends on what finished effect you want. There's a long posting I made in the thread entitled "Wet Look Slabs" further down this forum that lists the pros and cons of various products. You have to choose the one you think will give you the finish you want.