StrongSeal Wetlook – A Heavy Duty, Water-Based Paver Sealer Wet Look Finish

Professional Grade Damp Tolerant Wet look Sealer and Joint-Sand Stabilizer

 

Is Using A Paver Sealer Necessary?

I would strongly recommend sealing a paver or using a paver sealer.

Firstly, this helps to protect your pavers. If you don’t protect them, they can be damaged by a freeze-thaw attack. This happens when water gets in and repeatedly freezes and expands, leading to cracking in the pavers.

Salts or chlorides can get in and damage the pavers.

If you’re in a more tropical climate, mold and mildew can damage the pavers, or make them unsightly.
Again, I would strongly recommend sealing just to protect your pavers.

Secondly, sealing the surface makes it easier to clean. If you’ve got a sealed surface, you have a fighting chance to get any solutions, oils or food stains off the surface before they soak in permanently.

 

Which Paver Sealer Is Best?

In order to get the best seal, and stop any staining or solutions getting into your pavers, I would recommend a Topical sealer. This is something that puts a thin film or barrier across the surface of the paver. That will give you and absolute seal.  The next consideration is what do you want your surface to look like?

Is your goal for the paver surface:

• Enhancement
• Adding color
• Providing a sheen
• Bringing out the current color?

In each of these cases, a Topical sealer is the choice you should make.

If you don’t want to change the appearance and keep the natural look, but maintain a seal, a Penetrating sealer will do well.

The Penetrating sealer will soak into the paver. It will get into the capillaries and pores – filling them up – to repel any moisture or oils from getting into the pavers.

However, this is not an absolute barrier. This top surface is open so you still can get some staining, but it gives you a fighting chance. It gives you time to clean it and pressure wash it. So, it certainly makes it much easier to clean.

In the end, a Penetrating sealer is good if you don’t want to change the appearance, but it is not as good a sale as a Topical sealer.

The next choice you need to make is whether you go with a solvent-based or a water-based sealer.

 

There is solvent based:

– Topical sealers
– Penetrating sealers

There is also water based:

– Topical sealers
– Penetrating sealers

 

The difference between a water-based and solvent-based sealer comes down to their sensitivity to moisture. Solvent-based sealers tend to be a lot more sensitive to moisture.

If your pavers are damp, and you can’t get them to dry out fully, the sealer could begin turning white or leaving like a “milky” residue or parents on your pavers.

You’re less likely to experience these situations using a water-based sealer compared to solvent-based product.

Another issue with solvent sealers is they tend to burn off quicker.

They might give you an initial high gloss shine, but they will lose that appearance much faster than a water-based sealer. You also don’t get the same longevity with a solvent, as you would with a water-based sealer.

In short, a water-based penetrating or a topical sealer would be the better choices you could make. If you want an absolute seal, I would push you towards a topical sealer. If you don’t want any change in appearance, choose a penetrating sealer.

 

What Is A Water-Based Sealer?

A water-based sealer is one that uses water as the carrier agent, as opposed to a solvent.

The water takes the polymer (sealer material) onto the surface of the paver and inside it. This is preferable to using a solvent like Xylene or Acetone because it’s much safer.

There are no flammability issues. No odor issues. It’s much easier to handle, especially if you’re indoors.

Also, the water-based sealers tend to last longer, and are less moisture sensitive than solvent-based sealers.

 

What Differences Will You Notice When Using A Polyurethane vs. An Acrylic Sealer?

The differences you’ll notice when using a polyurethane sealer versus an acrylic are as follows:

Polyurethane:

• Tougher
• More cross-linked
• provide a more permanent barrier
• Much more UV-resistant.

Acrylic:

• UV-resistant
• Sensitive to moisture
• Weaker cross-linking breaks down fast.

 

What Is The Best Water Based Paver Sealer?

The best water-based sealer (in our opinion) is a two-part, water-based polyurethane, sealer.

More specifically, something that when mixed together chemically reacts, cross links and forms a very tough barrier across your paver surface. It should soak into the sand, and locks everything together to provide a much more durable, longer lasting seal than a single component acrylic sealer.

 

What Should You Look For In Paver Sealers With A Wet Look Finish?

Things to look for in a wet look paver sealer include:

 

1. It’s not moisture sensitive
2. It can be used on damp surfaces.

 

You should choose something that can be used on damp surfaces. This way, you don’t have to wait an extensive amount of time in order to apply it.

The sealer will “milk” (start looking cloudy) if it’s sensitive to moisture. When this happens, it’s very difficult to remedy.

Use a two-part product that forms a tight, cross-linked film across the paver and sand, and locks everything together.

Again, think about using a water-based versus a solvent-based product. Solvents tend to be very most sensitive. They’re more hazardous to use. They also lose the wet look faster, or don’t keep the sheen for as long as a water-based sealer does.

 

Can You Use A Water-Based Sealer Over A Solvent-Based Sealer?

You should be careful when trying to use a water-based sealer over a solvent-based product.

You could get situation where the solvent-based rejects the water-based sealer over it.

If the solvent-based product was applied recently (less than a year ago), we don’t recommend using a water-based sealer over it. The better choice would be to top-coat that with a solvent based product.

If the surface was sealed with a solvent-based product more than a year ago, and it’s “weathered” in that situation, then there’s a possibility of top coating it with a water-based sealer.

In this situation, we recommend using a two-part urethane, something like our StrongSeal Wetlook. It has much greater adhesion, and the kind of cross-linking chemical action, that would bond better to a weathered, solvent-based sealer.

If this is not an option, you should strip out that solvent-based sealer first. Then, apply the water-based product directly.

 

Can You Paint Over A Water Based Sealer?

This is something you should be careful about.

The function of a water-based sealer is to repel water and other solutions from sticking to the surface. As a result, it can be a challenge to paint over.

You’d have to use something like a two-part urethane or an epoxy if you’re inside. It would also require you to sand the surface lightly to rough it up and give that epoxy paint or urethane paint something to stick to.

We don’t recommend using a latex paint. There’s a greater chance of you getting adhesion failure between the water-based sealer or the paver sealer and the latex paint. We would suggest that you strip the surface first in this situation.

 

How Long Should You Wait To Apply A Sealer?

There are a few considerations on this topic.

Obviously, you need to clean the paver, and you’re going to be using moisture. If you use a sealer that is moisture insensitive, something like our StrongSeal Wetlook, then you can seal within 1 or 2 hours.

If you use a solvent-based product, you may have to wait 24 hours before you can seal it. There’s a major difference between the 2 sealer types.

It’s unlikely that you can seal the same day using a solvent-based product. Using a water-based product – like the StrongSeal Wetlook – you can seal the same day, soon after you pressure-wash the surface.

It doesn’t matter if the pavers are slightly damp. Just make sure you don’t have any puddles or pools of water on it.

The other consideration is about the sand.  If you’re using regular, course sand between your pavers, then you can use our sealer and it will lock everything together.  If you’re using polymeric sand, it needs to be wet down, and given time to react. We normally recommend waiting 24 hours for that before you seal it with any sealer, including StrongSeal Wetlook.

 

How Long Does It Take For Paver Sealer To Dry?

Dry time depends on:

1. Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Interior or Exterior application

 

When applied outside, a paver sealer will dry quickly. Usually, within a couple of hours.

When applied indoors, it’s going to take longer. You’ve got less air movement and more temperature difference than you would on the outside. Typically, you’ll experience a cooler temperature inside than you would on the outside.

A key point to note is that once you get below 70 degrees, everything takes longer to dry. Whether you’re inside the property or outside the property, the paver sealer takes longer to dry.

 

Our recommendation:

• Figure on average, 2 to 3 hours outside
• Maybe 4 to 5 hours on the inside.

 

Again, once you’re below 70 degrees, things are going to take longer – potentially twice as long to dry.

 

Features

• Wet look non yellowing sealer
• Highly water repellant
• Beautifies and protects faded pavers
• Repels, oil, grease and rust stains
• Resistant to hot tire pickup
• Reduces weed growth
• Voc compliant
• Abrasion resistant
• Makes surface easier to clean
• Mildew and fungi resistant
• Ideal joint-sand stabilizer
• Retards efflorescence

Typical Uses

• Interlocking concrete pavers
• New and old concrete
• Colored and stamp concrete
• Unglazed ceramic tiles – Saltillo
• Paving stones
• Masonry brick
• Natural stone

Shelf Life

12 months when stored at 77°F (25°C) or less in a dry and shaded area. Protect from freezing.

Theoretical Coverage

• Porous surface 150 – 200 ft²/gal (3.7- 4.9 m²/l)
• Dense surface 250 – 300 ft²/gal (6.0 -7.4 m²/l)
• A two coat application is recommended for porous substrates.

 

DOWNLOAD:  Technical Data Sheet     Safety data sheet