The Australian lifestyle is all about the outdoors and more and more people are investing their money in creating amazing outdoor spaces where they can make the most of it. Gone from the days where the backyard was just for the shed and a Hills Hoist, it has now become an extension of the home living space, with large expanses of luscious green lawns, pools, spas, landscaped and designer gardens and modern, small and large format natural stone and concrete pavers.
For many singles, couples and families, their home is the single largest investment they will ever make, so it is important to take the best possible care of it. Home upkeep can be a ginormous task without even factoring in the time spent in the garden on your weekends mowing, pruning, cleaning and hosing. In a new home or extension, you would never leave the gyprock unpainted or the hardwood floors varnish free, as they would end up looking horrid after a very short time, and the same goes for your outdoor pavers. Concrete and stone are very porous materials and without the proper finishing treatment they will end up looking just as sad and sorry in no time.
Unfortunately, many of us forget to seal our pavers at the end of a job almost guaranteeing dissatisfaction with the results sooner or later. The fact is, for most, the gardens and landscaping is the last project on the list, and paver sealing is usually the last job to be done and often overlooked due to time or budget constraints. However, it doesn’t take long and it doesn’t have to be a costly exercise and will always be proportional to the overall size and cost of your initial job.
Sealers Ain’t Sealers
To steal a line from a famous oil advertising campaign, the same is true for sealers. It’s the same old adage, you definitely get what you pay for and always be prepared for that. If you choose a cheaper water based sealer you will need to replace it sooner, and a more expensive solvent based sealer will last much longer. But if you choose neither of these an opt for none, ultimately, this will always be the most costly!
Choosing the Right Sealer
There are many sealer manufacturers out there, offering similar products for similar applications. Take the time to read to can and the ingredients to help you make a better decision. As a general rule, water based sealers are a cheaper alternative, but have the shortest lifespan. Solvent based acrylic resin and alcohol based sealers will tend to last much longer and are more suitable for heavy duty and high use areas. These are often a more expensive option, but higher quality option.
Here at Centenary Landscaping Supplies we stock the a range of premium sealers and cleaners for stone, clay and masonry products.