We have had our driveway done in PIC earlier this year. I believe the company used a zylene (?) sealant and a non slip coating as well.
Th problem is that it needs cleaning as we have just had some building work done. It appears to be covered in dust but it won't shift ! I have tried jet washing and scubbing with a hard broom which has had minimal impact. What do I need ? A special cleaner ? or reseal it ?
Thanks
Cleaning or Reseal PIC ? - PIC
-
84-1093879891
Have you considered contacting the original installers to see if they have any suggestions? Or have they disappeared off the face of the earth, as so many of that ilk are wont to do?
Xylene is a thinner used to clean out equipment after the sealant has been applied. The fact that you are aware of its use makes me wonder if the company involved used xylene to extend the coverage of their sealant?
If the surface isn't coming clean, it suggests that the dust/detritus has bedded itself into the sealant, which could happen if, as mentioned, the sealant had been thinned with xylene. If it were a quality sealant, properly applied in at least 2 coats, and given at least a fortnight to cure, then the dust should have made no impression in it whatsoever.
So: the next step is to try a pressure washer. If you have one of those 50-70 quid yokes from the DIY sheds, you could try that, but it may actually need a more professional verison, with a bit more woomph.
Once you done that, and got rid of as much of the contamination as possible, then I think a re-application of a quality sealant is to be recommended. It should restore the shine to the surface, and would probably help hide or mask any remaining marks. Don't use summat from your local DIY shed, though - get yourself a proper, quality, PIC sealant from a reputable supplier. It'll cost 2 or 3 times the price of a general purpose 'patio sealer' but it will last 5 times as long, and give a much harder finish!
Xylene is a thinner used to clean out equipment after the sealant has been applied. The fact that you are aware of its use makes me wonder if the company involved used xylene to extend the coverage of their sealant?
If the surface isn't coming clean, it suggests that the dust/detritus has bedded itself into the sealant, which could happen if, as mentioned, the sealant had been thinned with xylene. If it were a quality sealant, properly applied in at least 2 coats, and given at least a fortnight to cure, then the dust should have made no impression in it whatsoever.
So: the next step is to try a pressure washer. If you have one of those 50-70 quid yokes from the DIY sheds, you could try that, but it may actually need a more professional verison, with a bit more woomph.
Once you done that, and got rid of as much of the contamination as possible, then I think a re-application of a quality sealant is to be recommended. It should restore the shine to the surface, and would probably help hide or mask any remaining marks. Don't use summat from your local DIY shed, though - get yourself a proper, quality, PIC sealant from a reputable supplier. It'll cost 2 or 3 times the price of a general purpose 'patio sealer' but it will last 5 times as long, and give a much harder finish!
-
100-1093880203
Thanks for he reply. I got the term 'zylene' (sic) from their website where it quotes "A xylene based sealer provides ......"
I had a scrub with a bit of washing up liquid and a jay cloth earlier and this cleaned up the small area i tried. I then took a mop to the whole area - I'll see what it looks like in the morning - it was dark when i rinsed it down. Hopefully it would have cleaned it up somewhat.
'Swiss-seal' produces sealants for PIC - if the drive is clean I'll buy some and re-seal it myself. Looking at about £95 for 25 litres.
Thanks again.
PS The original installers have put 4 coats of sealant on it ! Their advice to get rid of the mess was to keep jet washing it.... fair enough but this doesn't work ! I thought I had a low maintenance driveway !
As you have worked in the field, out of curiousity you may want to know which company it was. Let me know and I'll send you their name via your email.
Regards
I had a scrub with a bit of washing up liquid and a jay cloth earlier and this cleaned up the small area i tried. I then took a mop to the whole area - I'll see what it looks like in the morning - it was dark when i rinsed it down. Hopefully it would have cleaned it up somewhat.
'Swiss-seal' produces sealants for PIC - if the drive is clean I'll buy some and re-seal it myself. Looking at about £95 for 25 litres.
Thanks again.
PS The original installers have put 4 coats of sealant on it ! Their advice to get rid of the mess was to keep jet washing it.... fair enough but this doesn't work ! I thought I had a low maintenance driveway !
As you have worked in the field, out of curiousity you may want to know which company it was. Let me know and I'll send you their name via your email.
Regards
-
84-1093879891
Has the wet weather helped clean it up at all?
Swiss-Seal is a new name to me, but, to be honest, I don't keep as up-to-date as perhaps I should with what's available for PIC installers. The price sounds as though it's at the cheaper end of what's available, which is not necessarily a bad thing, so I'd be interested to hear how it works out.
PIC, when properly sealed, is a "Low Maintenance Surface" (compare it to gravel!!) but it's not, and never will be 'maintenance-free', as some of the more gobby PIC companies like to claim. There is no such thing as a maintenance-free surface - we live in an imperfect world!
Send me the name of the company involved - either by email of use the Personal Messenger system above.
Swiss-Seal is a new name to me, but, to be honest, I don't keep as up-to-date as perhaps I should with what's available for PIC installers. The price sounds as though it's at the cheaper end of what's available, which is not necessarily a bad thing, so I'd be interested to hear how it works out.
PIC, when properly sealed, is a "Low Maintenance Surface" (compare it to gravel!!) but it's not, and never will be 'maintenance-free', as some of the more gobby PIC companies like to claim. There is no such thing as a maintenance-free surface - we live in an imperfect world!
Send me the name of the company involved - either by email of use the Personal Messenger system above.
-
NorthernClean
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:26 am
- Location: North West
- Contact:
-
100-1093880203
-
100-1093880203
I re-sealed the driveway with wonderful results - the driveway looks as it should do !
Just one small problem. I left the drive for 2 days before parking a car on it, but when the car was moved it took some of the sealant off with it !! It was a very hot day - last saturday so maybe it needed even more time to dry - althoguh you'd expect the warm ether to help this ?? I'm keeping an eye on it and if the prob goes away which it seems to be (although I haven't really looked since sat) I'll just re-eal the bits that have come off. It is a proper PIC sealant btw.
Just one small problem. I left the drive for 2 days before parking a car on it, but when the car was moved it took some of the sealant off with it !! It was a very hot day - last saturday so maybe it needed even more time to dry - althoguh you'd expect the warm ether to help this ?? I'm keeping an eye on it and if the prob goes away which it seems to be (although I haven't really looked since sat) I'll just re-eal the bits that have come off. It is a proper PIC sealant btw.
-
84-1093879891
I would have expected the warm conditions to accelerate evaporation of the solvent used in these sealants, and two days is an awfully long time for it to harden. I know that, when a sealant is first applied to PIC, the surface isn't trafficked for a few days (normally) because the concrete is still curing, but for most re-seal tasksm 24 hours is more than enough time for the solvent to evaporate. Perhaps NorthernClean has more info??