Sealing Pavers with a roller as opposed to spraying opinions please

We are ready to have our new pool pavers sealed and have been told that you can spray the sealer on with a typical bug sprayer from Lowes, HD, etc. Someone else has suggested using a paint roller to apply the sealer because it will last 5-7 years and be a much better seal.

Does anyone have experience with sealing pavers with the roller method and is there any down side? Obviously it goes on much thicker with a roller and I'm not sure if it might dry cloudy. I've already tried testing the roller method in a small area out of site, but it hard to tell from the sample area.

I should also say we bought sealer from a paver company that is top of the line as opposed to a general sealer from Lowes, Home Depot, etc.


Thanks for any input.

W. Bell
Orlando, FL

Last week I sealed my paver deck with Techniseal's "WL" sealant (http://www.techniseal.com.) I used a 3/4" split foam roller to roll it on. It went on very easily and thick. As you asked, I have some tips and suggestions :-)

- I think a bug sprayer would be a disaster personally. I have not done it, but the sealant, while liquid, is thicker than water and the chemicals involved (acrylics, plasticizers) would melt the plastic tip in a few minutes. Techniseal requires a metal paint tray as plastic will melt.

- It won't dry cloudy even if you goop it on. What *will* make it cloudy is if you accidently get water on it or the brush during application. I accidently rolled the roller into the pool while attempting to do the edge, and quickly removed it but a bunch of water splashed onto the deck. Now I have a cloudy spot.

- Make sure to apply efflorescence cleaner (acid) first. I used Behr Concrete etcher/stain remover, which also removes efflorescence. Let it dry 24-48 hrs afterwards, then sweep it thoroughly with a stiff-bristled brush. You'll be glad you didn't seal in sand! Oh, I did apply the efflorescence cleaner with a bug sprayer (in a 1:1 mixture of acid/water) to get an even application. Make sure to keep the surface wet the entire time and it's OK to rinse into pool if you have to (since acid will have reacted with efflorescence and have been neutralized)

- If you have a relatively smooth surface, your sealant, if it's film-forming (as opposed to penetrating) will make them slippery when wet. My pavers were really rough so I was all like "no frickin way this stuff will make these slippery" -- but they actually made it more slippery than I thought, as the product is a "Wet Look" (i.e. a film-forming) sealant.

- Be careful near the water's edge. The stuff does not mix at all with water, and I have no idea what effect it is having on my equipment but I know I got some of it in the water. It sits on top (like an oil slick) and is gummy, I kept the pump running the entire time and then cleaned the filter after I was done. I'm sure it's not good for plastic parts like PVC and filters, I noticed some of it clinging to the skimmer innards too. If you can avoid the edge with the roller, that's best, then go around and hand-seal it with a sponge or paint brush. That's what I did (well, my wife did that part :))

- Make sure to goop it into any wide spaces between pavers, if any. Sealant seems to seal the grout/sand really well and will prevent weeds if gooped in there good.

- If you get any on non-paver surfaces, clean it immediately with laquer thinner. I didn't and now I have some nasty sealant boogers on the acrylic band where the screen enclosure is bolted. I am going to just paint over them.

- I see you're in orlando like me (I'm in altamonte springs). Don't seal when it might rain. You'll be really, really sorry you did if it starts raining during/after application (see my note about cloudy above). Techniseal recommended 24 hrs to dry before normal traffic, but we felt comfortable on it after 16 hrs. YMMV. Good luck! Post pics!

I'm planning to seal my new pavers with the same product you used. How long did you wait after the pavers were installed before sealing? How much sealer did it take (gallons per sq-ft)? I have 1200 square feet of deck getting installed in the next week or so. Also, will it be slippery (i.e. dangerous) when applied on a standard 4x8 cement brick paver? Finally, the TechniSeal efforenscence cleaner says it is non-acid based (I think). If it is, would you recommend this over the Behr (acid based) product?
Thanks.
Mike in Oviedo FL

I waited 13 weeks before sealing. My pavers are 3.5" thick and very uneven. I imagine with thinner, more traditional pavers, the wait time would be less. My deck is partially covered by my roof, so any time it rained I would also rinse down the covered portion since rain and water help to naturally dissolve and bring efflorescence up to the surface of the paver. i suggest you do the same if you have covered portions.

Don't be surprised if the pavers are much whiter than you wanted when they are first installed. That will slowly dissolve over time with rain, and if you use the "WL" sealant from Techniseal, it will look great after sealing. I am very pleased with the product.

I have 850 sq ft. of deck, and it took about 8 gallons of sealant. Techniseal suggests that one gallon covers 150 sq. ft. but I gooped it and so mine was more like 1 gallon for every 100 sq. ft. With a "standard application" (which I would recommend for traditional smooth pavers) I would think 1 gallon would easily cover 150 sq. ft.

I would test the sealant on a small portion of your deck to decide in slipperyness. I thought my deck would be no problem, but it is slightly more slippery than I thought it would be. Techniseal says not to use the WL sealant on pool decks for this reason, but I ignored it because I want the look and the slightly additional slipperiness was not an issue for me. They say to use the "IN" (invisible) sealant but then you don't get the wet look.

As far as efflorescence, the techniseal efflorescence product is nitric acid. They do not say "does not contain acid", they say "contains no muriatic acid", which is true, because it contains nitric instead! Any strong acid will dissolve efflorescence. I would recommend whatever acid you can get that is cheap. In fact, I bet muratic acid would work too and is probably cheaper than the Behr stuff I bought. I just bought the behr stuff because it said "cleans efflorescence". The Behr stuff is just phosphoric acid. I don't know how much the techniseal efflorescence cleaner costs but I bet they charge way more than they shold for it. Any efflorescence cleaner will do, even the dry stuff you have to mix with water. With traditional pavers, I would *highly* recommend cleaning the efflorescence, you DO NOT want to seal that stuff in. I have seen some white "blooms" of what the owner thought was algae, when in fact it was efflorescence coming up under the sealant. The Behr product seemed to work well, so I would recommend it, unless you can get some other strong acid for much less than $12/gallon. Although I woul stick with either nitric, phosphoric, or muriatic acid. i dunno what other acids will do but I know those three are common acids used around a pool.

Take comfort in the fact that the Techniseal stuff is "micro-porous" and will wear off in a few years. after 10 days of it, I am highly satisfied :-)

Do you have to seal the pavers? I have a pool going in - hopefully it will be done by August. But it will be really rainy in August.

you do not need to seal pavers, my pavers are not sealed, and they are fine, it just gives it the wet look, I may do it, but I am afraid if I do, it will just be another maintainance thing that I will get caught up in. I also have lights in my pavers and the sealer would have to stay off of them.

I'd like to revive this topic for I have a few questions with respect to pavers. I have been told by a few people and the pool contractor sealed pavers have a higher degree of maintance, why is this? Our pavers have been in for a week and there is still sand on top and in the joints, I have sweeped and hosed them off a number of times. How long before most of the sand settles in and there is no more grit feeling and do I continue to sweep and hose off? How is everyone cleaning off their sealed or unsealed pavers? Recommedations for top of the line sealer? Thanks for your help and happy swimming.