Driveway Cleaning And Sealing in Dunfermline
What Is Driveway Sealing?
Driveway sealing is the use of a liquid coating mixture that is directly sprayed or rolled onto the driveway after it has been washed (and dried). The best way to describe sealants is akin to superglue, but where it is set on exterior paving areas. See our driveway cleaning page for information on our services.
Typically all driveways and forms of block paving are laid without sand and certainly not with a protective coating; this is a cost saving measure and one which can lead to issues of stability and discolouration in later years.
Types Of Driveway Sealing
The main types of sealers are water based emulsions, solvent based acrylics, moisture cured urethanes and hydrated polymer glues. For most driveways we seal, Resiblock trade is used. This is a universal sealer and one that is suitable for almost all surface types. Water based sealers have the same properties as solvent based ones, but are mixed with water instead of with solvents such as xylene. This makes water based sealers safer for environments and less harmful to surrounding habitat.
Process Of Driveway Sealing
The process begins before we even pressure wash the driveway or patio. It is important that we identify drainage issues, otherwise if we have problems with drying the driveway it could be problematic when it comes to applying a sealer.
Once the driveway has been pressure washed, we always go over the full drive a second time; this second pass is used to ensure all joints are free of biological growth. We often will use mild chemicals to post treat the surface, because we have to return at a later date to re-sand and seal the drive. The use of sodium hypochlorite acts as a barrier to future growth within this drying phase and is applied at a safe dilution.
The application of sealers is best achieved using a spray canister, this leads to a lot less wastage of the chemical and also allows us to directly spray into the joints. One coat of Resiblock is advised although a second coat can offer a light sheen. Have a look at the below image of a driveway cleaning job in Dunfermline, at this stage the translucent sealer is wet although it will dry clear. See our Facebook page for more images of our work.
