3 Interesting Sealer Analogies
During our hardscape training courses, we oftentimes use analogies to explain complex or confusing topics. In this post, we’re going to apply analogies to help you better understand three paver sealing concepts.
Over-applying sealer is like layering pieces of Scotch Tape.
All Alliance Gator sealers involve a one-coat application process. Many times we are asked if additional coats can be applied, as a way to enhance the surface even more. Our answer to that is no. Layering sealer will not enhance the surface. In fact, over-application will result in a white or hazy appearance, and can also cause de-lamination.
Picture placing one piece of Scotch Tape on top of a newspaper. You will clearly be able to read what’s underneath it. However, as you add a second, third, or fourth piece, the area beneath the tape will become blurry, making it more and more difficult to see. The same holds true for pavers that have been coated in multiple layers of sealer.
Lesson Learned: One coat of an Alliance-brand sealer is all it takes.
Sealing without efflo cleaning is like paintING ROUGH wood.
Have you ever tried to paint a piece of wood that hasn’t been sanded? The paint can’t easily adhere to the surface. This same concept applies to sealing pavers that haven’t first been cleaned with an efflorescence cleaner. Using an efflorescence cleaner will slightly etch the surface of the pavers, allowing the sealer to bond correctly.
Lesson Learned: Using an efflorescence cleaner is a mandatory step in the sealing process.
Recommended Blog Post:
Why You Must Use An Efflorescence Cleaner Prior To Sealing Pavers
A heavily trafficked sealed patio is like a waxed car returnING from the beach.
Patios that have been sealed the exact same way will look different based on how much wear-and-tear they get. Think of it like a waxed car. If you wash and wax your vehicle and immediately store it away in the garage, it’s going to look like new the next time you take it out for a drive. If you wash and wax your car and then make a trip to the beach, it’s going to appear, well, like it’s been to the beach! Outdoor sealed surfaces will look dramatically different from one to the next based on how often they’re used.
Lesson Learned: Paved surfaces that receive a lot of traffic will have to be sealed/maintained more often than low traffic surfaces.
LESSONS LEARNED
The analogies we shared help explain these three important concepts pertaining to sealer:
One coat of an Alliance-brand sealer is all it takes.
Using an efflorescence cleaner is a mandatory step in the sealing process.
Paved surfaces that receive a lot of traffic will have to be sealed/maintained more often.
Hopefully this post brought a little more clarity on the topic of sealer. For an in-depth review on different types of sealers and how to use them, be sure to download our free eBook On Paver Sealing.
