Pressure Cleaning & Sealing Yes or No?
Concrete Limestone and All Pavers

What are the pros and cons of pressure cleaning and sealing your driveway, concrete surfaces and paver? Installing new concrete surfaces or paving is a big investment and therefore you want to make sure your surfaces look great for years to come. When installing new paving you have probably been advised to have your paving sealed

Sealing Pros

Pressure cleaning and sealing your concrete, liquid limestone or paving will help protect these surfaces and keep them looking good for a lot longer than not having them sealed. The main benefits of pressure cleaning and sealing include:

1. Repels Moisture - Reduces water damage and wear to your concrete, liquid limestone and pavers. Sealers may assist in reducing or eliminating problems such as efflorescence where salts rise to the surface leaving white powdery deposits on your surface.
2. Stain Protection. A quality sealer will provide good resistance protection against water and oil based contaminants including motor oil, BBQ fats and oil, food and beverage spills as well as staining caused by leaves, flowers and fruit. An unsealed porous surface will stain a quicker and it will be more difficult to remove any staining compared to a sealed surface. However its important that the protection provided by sealers is "resistant" only which means you need to clean the contaminant off as soon as possible otherwise it will break through the sealer and stain the surface. Sealers are not "stain proof".
   
   We pressure clean and seal many of the common outdoor surfaces in Perth which include:
   
   
   • concrete
   • pavers / paving
   • exposed aggregate
   • liquid limestone
   • travertine
   • granite
   • natural stone
   • Fremantle stone paving

Sealing Cons

There are many benefits of having your concrete, liquid limestone and paving sealed, but what are the drawbacks? The main drawbacks to having your concrete, liquid limestone and paving sealed are 1) Regular Maintenance, and 2) Resealing.

1. Regular Maintenance. The biggest myth regarding having your concrete or paving sealed is "if you get them sealed, they will never get dirty again". This is simply not true. A sealed concrete or paving surface will still get dirty, algae and moss will still grow in damp and poorly drained areas. To ensure the sealer works to its optimum it is recommended that the following maintenance schedule be followed:
   
   
   • Sweep, blow or hose off the area regularly.
   • Spot clean off any contaminants as soon as they occur. Contaminants left on a sealed surface will slowly break through the sealant and stain the surface! Use a neutral pH cleaning chemical. Do not use high alkaline, acidic or solvent based chemicals as these can breakdown or damage the sealer.
   • Pressure cleaning the surface every 12 months.
2. Resealing. Unfortunately, concrete, and paving sealers do not last forever. On average a good quality sealer will last up to 5 years. Therefore, to ensure that your sealer continues to perform it is recommended that you pressure clean and reseal your concrete and paved areas every 4 to 5 years. This is an extra cost you need to consider when deciding whether to seal or not to seal.

Best Type of Sealer for Todays Paving

Clear penetrating Sealers protect your concrete and pavers by blocking the harmful effects of water and other staining contaminants via an invisible sub-surface barrier, like how scotchguard works on your sofas. This sealer type provides your surface with a non-coating natural look and will not peel, flake or go yellow.

Verdict

Pressure cleaning and sealing your outdoor hard surfaces will definitely help protect and keep your concrete and paved areas looking great for years to come. However it is just as important to realise that with a sealed surface comes responsibility... there are ongoing maintenance and resealing requirements to consider to ensure that the sealer performs to its optimum ability for many years to come.

If you would like to know more about our Perth pressure washing and sealing service, please feel free to call 0468 382 921 or email info@ecopressurecleaning.com.auemail us for a no obligation quote.

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