Driveway Sealer

Within the StoneCare4U Essential range, you will find an effective driveway sealer for any kind of driveway. All formulated with quality and value for money as the priority, StoneCare4U essential sealers are your perfect partner in trying to keep your driveway looking great and protected. If you are looking for a block paving drive sealer that lasts we can help. Furthermore, we can also supply a wet look driveway sealer that can enhance the natural colouring of your drive.

Created with ease of application and long term durability in mind StoneCare4U Essential Sealers can be used to recreate that beautiful ‘just laid’ look of a new driveway or as part of an ongoing Maintenance Programme.

Selecting The Right Driveway Sealer

There are many different driveway surfaces so selecting the best driveway sealer for your driveway is important. A block paving drive sealer is the most frequently requested. However, many homeowners have concrete or block paved driveways, however, there are also imprinted concrete driveways, various types of natural stone as well as tarmac, resin bonded and resin-bound drives. All of these require ongoing maintenance to keep them in good condition. The ones we will be focusing on in this article are concrete driveways (all types), tarmac as well as those laid with natural stone such as sandstone, limestone or granite slabs.

A concrete driveway can be laid in many different ways each giving a different look to the front of a property. Excluding tarmac, block paving, pre-cast paving slabs, imprinted concrete and concrete drives laid in one large slab are the most popular across the UK. All of these external surfaces can get dirty very quickly and need regular upkeep to keep them looking like new. In addition to this, many homeowners regularly pressure wash their driveways which can end up making them more porous which in turn makes them prone to deteriorate quicker. The best way to protect a driveway once it has been cleaned is by using a good quality driveway sealer. A block paving drive sealer can help to keep a driveway looking like new by making the surface water resistant which in turn will help slow down deterioration. If you can stop or slow down the deterioration of a driveway in the first place its much more cost-effective than having to constantly clean it.

Block Paving Drive Sealer

Let us start by looking at block paving which is one of the most widely laid domestic and commercial surfaces across the UK. Block paving can look great when it is first put down and its popularity comes from the fact that there are many different block types and designs to choose from. However, if block paving is not sealed it can quickly look grubby and dirty. Over time, the soft jointing sand can become the perfect environment for weeds to start growing and flourish. A driveway that cost thousands to lay and once looked great can soon become a bit of an eyesore with weeds growing everywhere. Cleaning a block paved driveway can be hard if you don’t have the right cleaning equipment so preventing block paving getting dirty in the first instance is the best option. A concrete driveway sealer or even better, a block paving sealer can make life much easier and help you save time and money. The concrete sealer for driveways will solidify the jointing sand which in turn will help prevent weed growth which is the main issue with block paved driveways. There are various options in terms of the type of finish with matt being the most popular but many homeowners also like a wet look driveway sealer for their block paving.

Concrete comes in many different forms but is generally very porous after installation apart from imprinted concrete, which when first laid, is always sealed with a solvent-based sealer so issues with deterioration are much less than with other forms of concrete driveways. Another surface is concrete paving slabs which are quite inexpensive to lay but have no protective coating. Concrete paving slabs are mostly laid on patios but on occasions are laid for driveways. The problem with concrete paving slabs is just like any other porous concrete surface in that they get dirty very quickly. Moreover, dirt is just one issue as algae and patio black spots caused by black algae can create all sorts of issues. The best way to protect concrete paving slabs on a driveway is by using a good quality concrete driveway sealer such as Essential Black Tarmac Sealer. The sealer will absorb into the microscopic voids within the surface of the concrete and help prevent water ingress. When this happens, the end result is a water-resistant concrete paving slab which is not the best place for algae and lichen to grow and flourish.

Another surface that is becoming increasingly popular for driveways is natural stone, especially sandstone, limestone and granite. Natural stone is very porous and when used on a driveway it can quickly deteriorate much faster than other substrates such as concrete. Although natural stone can be sealed on a driveway with a driveway sealer, more often than not it is used to seal natural stone patios. If you need a natural stone sealer for your driveway there are various options in terms of the finish available; these include clear invisible finishes to colour enhancing sealers. Many homeowners like the look of their natural stone driveways when they are wet as it brings out the colours of the stone. This is especially true of black limestone and slate driveways where a wet look driveway sealer tends to be the preferred option.  A wet-look driveway sealer for natural stone can make a dull surface look really vibrant, with the original colouring intensified and appearing wet.

The last surface we will talk about here is the tarmac. Tarmac has been used extensively in the UK and Ireland to lay driveways as well as for many commercial applications. Tarmac is one of the cheaper surfaces to lay and can be very durable. However, over time tarmac tends to dry out with constant exposure to sunlight so it does require maintenance from time to time to prevent cracks and potholes appearing. A tarmac driveway sealer can help prolong the lifespan of tarmac driveways. If a driveway sealer for tarmac is applied every 3 – 5 years, it can help to save money in general maintenance of the surface over the long term. Prevention is better than cure, so some ongoing maintenance is always the best option when trying to keep a tarmac driveway looking good at all times.

If you have any questions regarding any of the driveway surfaces listed above, just give us a call on 0333 355 3606. Whether you are looking for a concrete driveway sealer for a concrete driveway or a wet look driveway sealer for natural stone one of our product advisors will be able to point you in the right direction.