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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 3:13 pm
by joespaniel
In recently bought a 25 ltr tub of solvent based sealant from stonecraft.
I am going to seal my patio in next few days. Can you tell me how long I should wait between coats. Someone told me I shouldnt wait until it is completely dry??

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 5:59 pm
by London Stone Paving
Can you post a link to the product you have purchased. Will then be in a better position to advise you

Steve

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 7:10 pm
by joespaniel
Thanks for answering. There is only a stone craft own brand label on it. I phoned the shop but wasn't convinced they knew. It is a gloss solvent based sealant.

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 10:18 pm
by London Stone Paving
I went on the website but the product link wasn't working. What are you sealing ? Stone or concrete?

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 7:24 am
by joespaniel
Hi. It's Indian sandstone paving.

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:23 am
by London Stone Paving
I just tried the link on the web site again and it still doesnt work, so can exactly be sure what the sealant is. If you have purchased it in a 25 ltr tub its probably going to be a budget sealant and not an impregnator. It will do the job and seal the patio but very likely it will really enhance the colour of the stone and make it look shiny. Is that the finish that you want?

Although the web link doesnt work, the product is called block sealant whihc suggests its designed for block paving. This is not what you want to hear but I would not touch it with a barge poll. Likleyhood is that it will complettely transform the colour of your natural stone as I described above and your finished stone will look nothing like you originally hoped for

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:06 pm
by RAPressureWashing
Same here Steve link is down, but the OP does state that it is a " It is a gloss solvent based sealant" so you know it is going to be a surface sealer and not an impregnator sealer that is needed for natural stone.
Why do people go for this false economy and buy "stores" own cheap brands as opposed to the tried and tested quality/professional products?

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:25 pm
by joespaniel
Hi. It wasn't that cheap. £130 for 25 Lts.
What would be a decent mid price sealant to use?

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:01 am
by London Stone Paving
Thats really cheap at just over £5 a litre. Dry treat which IMO is the best, costs £44 + VAT per litre. It is expensive but if installed correctly it should not need re-applying for 15 years. Lithofin stain stop is also good and that costs £30 ish per litre depending on where you buy it from. Dry treat and lithofin are both impregnators. That means that they penetrate into the surafce of the stone. Because these products operate under the surface of the stone, it takes much longer for them to break down. Also they dont change the colour of the stone. The one that you have purchased will break down quickly under foot traffic and exposure to the weather elements. The worst thing though with surface sealants like the product that you have bought is that they give a shiny glossy surface. You might as well paint a layer of superglue over the patio, because thats the look you will get

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 2:21 pm
by RAPressureWashing
As Steve has said, not very expensive that sealer you have there, from a guess and the price you stated, it is really for block paving or concrete slabs, most probably acrylic based so a surface sealer, so not for natural stone. Your best mid-priced impregnator sealer would be Lithofin Stain Stop, The Dry Treat is supposed to be very good I haven't used it yet, another very good sealer is Aqua-Mix which we do use, but you would be paying around the same per litre as the Dry Treat.
If the sealer you have bought is a surface sealer, please don't use it on the Sandstone as I feel you won't be happy with the results.