We have compiled this frequently asked questions page to help answer some common questions we are regularly asked. If you have any questions about service, sealing, or anything between please do not hesitate to contact our office at any time. We look forward to exceeding your expectations! Yes. There are many benefits to sealing pavers, travertine and other natural stones. Sealer helps to protect the stones from mold, stains and UV radiation that will fade pavers over time. The sealer creates a barrier, blocking oil, dirt and other substances from soaking into the porous surface. We use the best commercial grade sealer manufactured by Innovative Concrete Technology. The manufacturer is located in Lakeland, Florida and the sealers are designed specifically for the Florida subtropical climate. Brick paver sealing: Ure-Seal H2O Travertine and Natural Stone: Find more information on the difference between Stone Show and Ure-Seal H2O on Travertine here. Concrete Sealing: Water Shield Each hardscape requires a different type of sealer. Some sealers, like Ure-Seal H2O, can be used on multiple types of hardscape, but may not be the best choice. Ure-Seal H2O penetrates into brick pavers where on travertine and natural stones it does not and instead forms a film. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BRICK PAVERS: We recommend and use Ure-Seal H2O on most pavers. This sealer comes in various sheens: Gloss, Mid-Gloss and Natural. Ure-Seal H2O is high performance, environmentally friendly, clear coat urethane sealer. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TRAVERTINE & NATURAL STONE: We recommend Stone Show on new or unsealed travertine and Ure-Seal H2O if the pavers have already been sealed with a topical sealer. Stone Show is the premiere sealing product for Travertine and Natural Stone. Unlike Ure-Seal H2O that creates a film over the stones, Stone Show penetrates the stone and leaves them with their natural texture. It’s a breathable, water-based, penetrating, water repellent designed to be used on natural stones, concrete, and other properly prepared vertical or horizontal masonry surfaces. While providing a unique and beautiful enhancement to the existing color(s) or no color change of the substrate. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CONCRETE: We recommend using Water Shield. water-based, penetrating water-repellent designed to be used on most properly prepared vertical or horizontal concrete or masonry surfaces. It creates a hydrophobic barrier while still allowing for full breathability to disallow any intrusion of water or contaminates carried by water to enter the substrate. No. Polymeric sand can cause many issues with pavers here in Florida and isn’t used or recommended unless joints are larger than 3 inches wide. We install Florida Silica Sand into all joints properly, then apply sealer to help lock in the sand. Our sand comes from a local Florida company that has over 60 years of experience in hardscape and abrasive finishing products. Mother nature has more to say with this than we do. Water erosion, weeds and insects can cause sand to diminish over time. Unless you experience catastrophic sand loss … A little bit of sand missing isn’t going to hurt anything. You see during the sealing process the sealer actually soaks into the base sand and hardens the sand your pavers sit on, making cave-ins and wobbly stones very unlikely. So, unfortunately there is no length of time we can guarantee how long the sand stays like new in every situation. With our maintenance plans, however, we will replace sand as needed to keep your driveway, walkways and patios looking great! Concrete Brick Pavers: Travertine and Natural Stone Hardscapes: Pavers will need to be cleaned anywhere from 6 to 16 months, due to various environmental factors. If the pavers are in an area that is shaded and stay moist, they will get dirtier faster than pavers in the full sunlight. We here at Paver Seal Tampa have maintenance plan discounts to keep our client’s pavers clean and protected. Do you have to wax your vehicle to maintain the paint’s beauty and longevity for years after purchasing it new? … Of course you do. So, the answer is YES. And unlike the exterior of your vehicle, pavers are walked on, driven on and have various things spilt on them. They often sit in the full light of the sun’s UV rays and have mold, mildew, weeds, dirt and sometimes water sit on them for various lengths of time, wearing off the coating. Maintaining your hardscape’s sealer will help to protected it for decades. About once a year you will need to have either the Gold Clean or the Platinum Seal Service performed in order to keep everything looking clean and your stones protected. Think of what would be the cost of not maintaining your sealer for just a second, before getting into how much you are going to save with our maintenance plans. So first of all, the paver system itself is an expensive investment, right? Whether you got a nice pool deck or back patio to chill out on or a beautiful front entrance with the paver driveway to match. It seems that most people don’t want to let their expensive pavers get away from them. Letting all the colors fade and look neglected 5 to 10 years down the line. Most people probably decide on the pavers originally, because they liked the colors of the stones and never considered that those colors need protection if they want the stones to last. Once the color fades your options involve either total paver replacement or color enhancement services, which are helpful and more economical, but not always exact in color results. Damage to pavers can happen with haphazard cleaning and sealing schedules. Our clients have found, it nicer to just keep everything clean in the first place. Our maintenance plans are Affordable, Automatic, and they prevent the mold mildew and other contaminants from damaging your pavers including the sun’s U.V. rays that cause your neighbors’ paver colors to fade. And you can be certain that you actually save money on routine services that you would have needed anyway. *The individual prices for maintenance plans are based on the individual job and what that means is, what you can expect to pay for Gold Clean is only 30% the initial cost and our Platinum Seal service is only 60% the initial cost.* Frequently Asked Questions