The Best Ways of Cleaning and Sealing Brick Pavers

With so many shapes, sizes and colors, it’s not surprising people love pavers. When it comes to brick pavers, people love them even more. It’s one of the most attractive and unique materials for hardscaping and landscaping design. They are used for patios, walkways, driveways, pool decks etc. Brick paving is very popular with both DIY homeowner and landscaping contractors, combining an easy installation with a bold landscaping statement.

Brick paving is the long-lasting solutions for all your paving needs. With proper care, repair and maintenance, brick pavers will provide a long service life. Here are some tips on cleaning and sealing paving in Perth which helps to enhance their look.

Paving cleaning Perth keeps them clean and beautiful

Before cleaning pavers, you will need to know following things:

Materials

•    A deck broom/brush

•    Power/pressure washer

•    Rotary surface cleaner

Solutions

•    Techniseal’s Tar & Tire, Oil, or Organic solutions

•    Techniseal Sealant

Cleaning brick pavers is easier than you many think. It heavily depends on the equipment, material and dedication to maintain. Caring of brick pavers starts with good cleaning habits. Dirt and spills are the biggest reason for the fading of beautiful brick paving. Daily sweeping of dirt and debris from walkways as grit will slowly deteriorate brick over a number of years. You can use different type of solution to clean pavers. Don’t go with muriatic acid solutions as they can damage your pavers. So stick to the solutions specifically made for pavers.

Periodic power washing is yet another way to return your old brick pavers back to their original shine and beauty. A paving cleaning Perth professionals can utilize a commercial power washer with cleaning solution to achieve a deep cleaning without using excessive pressure. 

Not all the cleaning methods are good for brick pavers. Sandblasters generally use to make bricks shiny and beautiful but it can harm the surface of fired bricks. So avoid using sandblasters. Also avoid the muriatic acid as this cleaner many permanently discolor brick and ruining the overall look of the landscape design.

Paving sealing Perth for long term Care

For preventing weed growth and maintaining a clean surface, it become important to apply a layer of sealant to brick paving. It’s even more important after a thorough cleaning and many landscape contractors are in the favor of providing comprehensive sealing shortly after paving cleaning Perth.

Make sure the brick pavers are clean of paints, sealer, stains and any other materials that would prevent proper penetration of sealer. It’s recommended to apply two coats for the best results. You can apply the material with a roller or sprayer. Which method is best depends entirely on the product being used. So always follow the manufacture instructions.

By hiring a professionals paving sealing Perth, you can sure the right products are used and the final application is an even coating. Brick paving sealing strengthens, rejuvenates, protects and enhances the beauty of brick pavers, so you should invest in a brick paving cleaning and sealing every two years. 

Why Is Limestone Sealing Important For Floors And Countertops?

Many of the older buildings in Perth have limestone flooring. The reason is its durability. The hardness of this sedimentary rock varies and it is also pretty smooth. The color tone of limestone is neutral. Moreover, it is not too shiny. Therefore, it has remained a popular flooring option for centuries. However, just like marble, limestone is also very reactive to acids. Limestone might be a wrong choice for exterior flooring. Acid rain can cause stains on the floor. Therefore, either avoid limestone or protect it from acids using limestone sealing in Perth. When it comes to interior flooring, do not use acid-based cleaning agents especially if the floor is not sealed. Even when the limestone floor is sealed, use only neutral cleaning solutions for cleaning the limestone floor.

Limestone is porous in nature. Therefore, limestone sealing using penetrating sealers provides the best protection from soiling and staining. Here are some maintenance tips for limestone floors that are not sealed:

• Minimize the damage by cleaning spills immediately.  
• Do not place cookware and hot dishes on the floor.
• Silver, ceramics and other objects can cause scratches on the floor. Therefore, do not place these objects on the limestone floor.
• Protect the floor from citrus juices and alcohol.
• Clean the floor regularly using pH neutral cleaners.
• Dust mop the floor regularly.
• Avoid using bleach, vinegar or any other general-purpose cleaner.
• Avoid abrasive and alkaline cleaners.

Sealing limestone floor is the best thing you can do to protect the floor from almost all damages.

Limestone for Countertops 

Limestone is also used for making countertops. These look great in kitchens and stores. However, without limestone sealing, it can be a bad choice. It is because of the porous nature of the limestone. Therefore, do not let juices, water, acids or any other liquid to stand there on the countertop. Liquids, especially acids etch the surface of the limestone and stain it. If you are not cleaning it immediately, the stain will remain there for good. Beverage glasses can leave rings on the surface. Therefore, do not place anything directly on the countertop. Always use a mat on the countertop.

Whether you are using limestone for flooring or countertop, you should either use limestone sealing or lay out a mat on the surface. Otherwise, it will remain prone to stains. Therefore, you should hire a company providing the best limestone sealing in Perth. 

Factors That Can Affect the Performance of the Concrete Floor

Concrete is a highly dependable solution for flooring. There are several other materials that are popular for flooring. However, there is no match for durability, workability and versatility of the concrete. There are numerous design options. It is hardly affected by the environment. If you have visited a manufacturing plant in which chemicals are used, you will notice that the floor is made from concrete.

The performance and appearance of the concrete floor greatly depend on concrete mix, installation and the way it is cured.  If the mixture, installation and curing are not up to par, the concrete floor will lack strength, stability and durability.

Concrete is a mixture that consists of a binder, aggregate and water. A mixture of cement and water is called cement paste, a mixture of cement paste and sand in called mortar, and a mixture of mortar and aggregate in called concrete.

Following Are the Factors Affecting Concrete

Strength, hardness and quality of the concrete floor or any other concrete surface depend on following factors:

Binder

The most commonly used binder is cement. Pozzolans can also be a substitute for cement. Pozzolans undergo primary and secondary hydrations to produce a gel. This gel can fill voids between cement particles. Apart from making concrete less porous, it also reduces the absorption of moisture and chemicals that can damage the floor.

 Aggregates  

Weight, strength, size, texture, reactive properties of the aggregates and the ability to absorb vary. This variation also has effects on the properties of the concrete.       

Water

The amount of water used in the mixture also affects concrete. If you look at the water-cement ratio, 25% water is required for hydration. However, the amount of water is increased up to 45% for improving workmanship. If you increase the quantity of water, concrete becomes more porous as water evaporates leaving behind capillary voids.     

Mix Design

Materials, proportion of materials, order in which materials are mixed, method of mixing and length of time also affect the quality of concrete. Any mistake can lead to early-age cracks, chips and other problems.

Environment

Conditions in which you are mixing, placing, finishing and curing concrete also affect the performance and appearance of the concrete surface. These conditions include wind speed, cloud cover, temperature and the surface on which you are installing the concrete floor.

After the floor is installed, you should hire professional services for concrete coating in Perth. The concrete coating protects the concrete floor from the external factors that can take a toll on its performance and appearance. In the next blog, we will explain the effects of workmanship on the quality of the concrete floor and common concrete floor defects.     

7 PAVING JARGON AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

There are so many styles of paving you can choose from; that some of the jargon can make it difficult to figure out what is right for you. Riven, Calibrated, Rumbled etc are the types of paving but you need to know what will suit best as per your needs. Whether you are looking paving cleaning in Perth or buying new paving slabs, we are sharing the complete guide to help you understand exactly what you need to look out for:

1.    Project pack: Most of the paving products include a number of different sized slabs. Each size of the slabs is designed to be placed side by side to create a natural, neat effect. A project pack includes a correct number of different sized slabs to cover the advertised area. Whatever your need, you can select too many small or large slabs to cover the area. This makes your task easy and you finish it on time. 

2.    Riven paving: It’s a kind of paving when it has a textured and rustic look. Individual natural riven paving often comes in varying thickness which needs extra bedding or underlay depending on the type of use and requires careful lying to ensure correct alignment of the paving e.g. patio or driveway. It will good if your purchase riven paving which mimics the look of textured natural stone.

3.    Calibrated paving: In calibrated paving, all the slabs are of a uniform thickness. It’s often more expensive than non-calibrated paving, but it’s so much quicker and easier to lay that you often recover these costs.

4.    Rumbled paving: It’s a kind of paving which is very similar to cobbles. They’re often small square or rectangular stones laid close together. If you are planning it for driveways and paths, it can be a great choice.

5.    Manufactured paving: It’s the kind of paving which is not made from natural stone. These paving slabs are moulded to an extract specification. Manufacture paving has a smooth finish, with all the paving slabs being the same size and depth, so choose these paving can be a great advantage.  You can get variety in design and style, this type of paving usually cheaper than the natural alternatives.

6.    Natural paving: Natural paving is made of natural stone and looks absolutely stunning. But it’s important to notice that you will not get the same amount of uniformity in the slabs as you would from manufactured paving. But it’s not the great choice if you want to create your patio smooth and flat. If you’re after paving with some texture and character, natural paving could be a great choice.

7.    Coping: A coping is a slab that you lay on top of a wall to give it a neat, finished look.