I’m planning to have my patio repainted, it’s Indian sandstone, and will be going for a traditional mortar point. Does anyone have any experience/recommendations in terms of sealant for this material? Where I live algae is a pain, but I’ve also wondered if the right sealant can lift the sandstone colors a bit too. Definitely not into the wet looks, aiming for as natural as possible and not wanting to make the surface slippy, which I think some can. Not a decision I want to rush really, either getting it right or leaving it as is.
Sealing Sandstone
- Thread starter patrickphimr
- Start date
red-beard
Gold Supporter
- May 27, 2019
- 1,621
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
I had mine done. The clear coating starting turning hazy white. Zoom in on my picture. The stone is a brick red.
Zehribo
Member
Depending on what type mortar your mason plans to tuck with (generally repointing with type-n or type-o will flow easier than a below grade rated type-s) will need to be taken into consideration as the relative retention and permeation rates will affect the longevity of the tuck but when it comes to sealers anything from an industry specialized leader like SEK Corp is a surefire winner. I've personally used the solvent based SB-8700 on my own patio and am blown away at its appearance and protection, but for a natural invisible look their water based SB-1300 as linked is an awesome product and has anti-fungal protection built it for algae moss and mold alike, their customer support line is outstanding! Be mindful that post-pointing the acid used to rub and clean the fresh masonry can etch and discolor softer limestones and sandstones especially on flat surfaces, NMD80 properly used is a great masonry cleaner but for prepping the pavers themselves SureClean from SEK Corp properly diluted would be my recommendation. Usually the haze from sealers come a mixture of efflorescence blooming and retained water trapped under the coat of sealant especially prominent in big box water based products, tho it can be seen in cementitious based jointing sands too (don't rush the evaporation process and buy quality industry specific cleaners/sealers). SEK produces breathable sealers that allow trapped moisture to escape (read the finer prints), and SureClean is an efflorescence rated cleaner (again with the finer prints). Lastly, if you plan on tackling this yourself SEK has an entire video line up from start to finish that you can easily follow without having done anything like this before and without having to spend hundreds in equipment although tuck pointing is an art form... If you plan on hiring the job out research research research, spending the time to find and hire a quality contractor (not a cheap contractor) will pale in comparison to the timely and costly process of trying to strip inferior product applied by an unskilled contractor. Links below if allowed. Attached are a couple pictures of my patio with SB-8700. Good luck i'd love to see your patio when you are done!
Natural/Matte look SB-1300
Enhanced/Gloss look SB-7700
SureClean cleaner
Natural/Matte look SB-1300
Enhanced/Gloss look SB-7700
SureClean cleaner