Natural stone slabs advice please.

[Lindsay]

New to here, and would be grateful for some advice from you guys, if you would be so kind.
Two years ago I had a small patio laid with Marshall's natural stone, and pointed with Marshals Weatherseal.
They laid the slabs on a very dry mix, in the heat of summer, and within 3 months some of the slabs felt “boxy� and pointing cracking. I contacted Marshalls who said they should have been laid on a wet “plastering� consistency mortar mix.
I contacted installer and he has agreed to relay them on the correct mix, this week I hope.
My question is, the pointing seemed to get very grubby, as did the slabs and needed constant power washing to keep them presentable. Is there a better pointing mix than the Marshalls Weatherpoint, and can anyone recommend a nice satin sheen or wet look sealer for the slabs. It is a small area so don’t mind having to re-apply as needed. Sorry for the long post.

[PavingSuperstore]

Do you know which Marshalls natural stone product it is? Also, are there any factors that would increase the likelihood of it getting grubby quickly, e.g. North facing, damp, overhanging trees etc?

In terms of sealing, this will make it easier to clean. We would recommend Pavetuf satin finish sealer, but note, this is not a wet-look finish and will not enhance the colour, but will help in keeping the patio clean and should last around 8 years. Presuming there's no other issues relating to the installation, then it's often preferable to seal the paving to help with maintenance.

Hope this helps,

[Lindsay]

Thanks George. I think it is Marshalls Indian Sandstone.
The garden faces SE but gets sunshine for most of the day. It really needs powerwashing every 2-3 weeks.
Is there a superior product for pointing? Previously Marshalls Weatherseal was used. Thank you for your help.

[PavingSuperstore]

This sounds way too often - are you sure there's not a damp issue under the paving? Alternatively, does it get excessive foot traffic and is the garden leading to the patio exceptionally muddy? Most people would only clean their patio a couple of times a year! Marshalls make a particular point about the low porosity of their paving which means less algae than some of the non CE tested softer sandstones, so it wouldn't be normal for it to become weathered this quickly between washes. If the paving is still down, it may be an idea to post some photos on here so we can see if it's general dirtiness or algae.
In terms of pointing mortars we would recommend a couple of options - Pavetuf jointing compound and GftK 840 plus, but there are several other options that would be suitable, including Weatherpoint. There's also some horrendous products out there, so if you make a decision, run it past this forum first.

[lutonlagerlout]

powerwashing every 2-3 weeks is way over the top
a simple sweep up every fortnight is enough
LLL