Sealing brick pavers sounds like a really quick and easy thing to do and almost anyone can do it. The truth is it takes the right training, experience and tools in order to seal a hardscape surface in a way that will be protected and enhanced for years to come. A lot of paver driveways and patios are ruined everyday by landscape companies, handymen and do it yourselfers that think sealing is as easy as rolling paint on a wall. In this quick article you will learn 5 things to look for when hiring a brick paver cleaning and sealing company.
1-The first thing you want to check is that the company is insured and reputable. There are a lot of contractors that don’t have general liability insurance, which means if they screw up your expensive patio or damage your property you will be the one responsible for the repair costs. Other contractors try to skimp by not paying employees on the books which means if a worker is injured on your property you could be liable. Be sure to notice how professional a contractor seems, you can get a feel if they’re reputable by requesting to see pictures of jobs they have done. A reputable contractor will have a lot of quality before and after pictures of their work.
2-“A jack of all trades is a master of none” When you are hiring someone to work on your expensive patio or driveway you want to be sure that they know what they are doing. Look for a contractor that specializes in hardscape cleaning and sealing and more specifically brick paver cleaning and sealing. A lot of wood deck staining companies do pavers on the side. Wood and concrete pavers are completely different, hire a contractor who specializes in what you are looking for.
3- The better brick paver cleaner and sealer manufacturers have certified applicator programs. The manufacturer wants their products to get great reviews and be accepted by the end user, to insure this they train installers and applicators to apply cleaners and sealers exactly the way they were intended to be applied. Look for contractors who have their staff certified and properly trained.
4- The cleaning process is very important when preparing to seal brick pavers. If not performed correctly it can lead to premature failure of even the highest quality sealers. Be sure the brick paver cleaning and sealing contractoryou hire uses professional cleaning equipment. This will consist of hot water, high volume pressure washers that are capable of removing tough stains like oil, grease, moss, and mold. This pressure washer will also be cleaning out the old joint sand to make way for the new polymeric sand. An average power washer bought at Home Depot will not do the trick. The pros have big trailer mounted pressure washing equipment and will only pull hoses onto your property, not a small washing unit.
5- There are thousands of different types of sealers available, even big box stores like Lowe’s sell concrete sealers. These and 90% of all the other sealers are sub par and will not produce a coat that will last long, look good, and be safe for foot traffic in slippery conditions. There are a few sealer manufacturers that the major brick paver companies like Unilock, Paveloc, Oaks, and Belgard recommend for their concrete pavers. These are brands like Techniseal, Surebond and a few others. A good brick paver cleaning and sealing company will use these products and be certified applicators of the products. Using lower priced sealers could lead to early break down, hazing of the sealer, causing the surface to turn white, sealers too thick will make for a slippery surface, yellowing of the acrylic portion of the sealer in sunlight, cracking, pealing, and a non uniform appearance.
If you want to hire a company to clean and seal your brick pavers, Paver Protector Inc possesses all of the above criteria and will prove it to you at your free consultation. If you want to learn more about Brick Paver Cleaning and Sealing in Illinois visit the Paver Protector website or call 630-488-0069 and mention this article.
Paver Protector Services the following areas. If your town is not listed here please call as Paver Protector does service other towns.
Barrington, Inverness, Palatine, St. Charles, Wayne, Geneva, Elburn, Batavia, Aurora, Huntley, Hampshire, Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Cary, Elgin, Bartlett, Wheaton, Winfield, Warrenville, Glen Ellyn, Schaumburg, Dundee, Arlington Heights, Glencoe, Wilmette, Eanston, Skokie, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northbrook, Wheeling, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Mundelein, the Fox River Valley and The North Shore plus many more areas.
