Sealing block paving

Librisal

I am sure there is somone out there that can give me some advice please.

Our block paving needs cleaning quite often. Gets a lot of moss in between the blocks. Our property used to be a holiday home and so was a bit neglected. We would like to seal the blocks so that we do not have this problem so often. Can someone recommend a product ?
Thank you.

wallbash

Product I use , is a pressure washer , not a fan of Sealants.

And yes I also hate it when I ask a sensible question some smart alec makes
a posting which is not an answer!!



Sorry.

Ebe_Scrooge

I'd be a bit wary of putting down a sealant - unless you spend a fair bit on a very high quality one, the results could be worse than the current situation. There's a useful article here :

http://www.pavingexpert.com/sealants.htm

I'd be tempted to give it a good wash down with a power washer, then when it's dry re-sand the gaps with kiln-dried sand - available from any of the big DIY shops. You won't need much, and it'll only cost a few quid. You might want to try scrubbing it with Jeyes Fluid or similar first, to kill off the moss spores to help prevent re-growth. This is what I used to do with our block paving - jet wash followed by a re-sand once a year ( only needed one bag of sand to do the whole lot, cost a couple of quid ), this kept it looking pretty reasonable.

If the paving is permanently moist and in the shade then I think you'll get some moss coming back, even if you seal it. Sealants can also make the surface more slippery, especially in the wet, so you'll need to consider this if it's an area that gets walked on a lot.

keith969

I'd second not getting it sealed. To keep it clear of moss etc. spray it occasionally with moss killer (I used to use sodium chlorate weedkiller which did a great job, but the nanny state has banned it...) Then once a year give it a good going over with a power sprayer.

Librisal

Thank you all so much for your suggestions.

Will certainly look into kiln dried sand. We do not have a power washer - but might have to buy one now. We bought a great tool from a garden centre that removes weeds and moss from between the blocks. Not a knife but a long handled metal brush.

Will maybe have a rethink on the sealant as nobody seems to think it is such a good idea.

knowloads

a diy washer is a hard days work, and may see it off. (low volume washers no good) hire a petrol one from a hireshop and ask for a turbo nozzle, or ask a drive cleanig co £2.50 a mtr: Good sealants and recolouring now available too. twitter roof_coaters or search web.