Paved Surfaces

Perhaps the first thing to say about block or flag paving is that contrary to popular belief it is not a maintenance free fit and forget solution.

In fact ALL paving requires cleaning and maintenance to keep it looking fresh and tidy. Hard wearing as these surfaces are, foot/vehicle traffic, wind borne dirt and the weather all contribute to the general "wear and tear" on their appearance.

We say it is low maintenance rather than no maintenance. In other words it does not need cleaning as often as the lawn needs mowing but some annual maintenance is advisable. The good news is that if you follow the directions below, maintaining it in successive seasons will be a lot easier:

1. Block Paving

Calculate the area to be treated in square metres, so that you can determine the quantity of cleaner and sealer that you will need.
Clear the surface of cars, plant pots, garden ornaments etc.
Weed kill
If there are established weeds or grass growing up through the joints (as opposed to just moss and green mould), these should be treated with a good quality weed killer and left for a week before removing by hand.
Wash the paving
There are different options for cleaning the surface but by far the most effective is to hire an industrial pressure washer with a rotary surface cleaner as shown to the right. Apart from speed the main advantage of this is that it will cause less mess and will not dislodge as much of the jointing sand.

If you are using a DIY pressure washer the task will take a little longer and if it only has a fan spray you will lose more joint sand and inevitably create more mess! If your paving is particularly dirty we recommend that you treat the surface with our K-Seal Acid Paving Cleaner which should lift most ingrained dirt. Follow the directions most carefully.
Biocidal wash
Having cleansed the surface, you should use a garden sprayer (as for weed killer) to treat the entire washed area with K-Seal Bio Wash. This is a sanitising solution which will kill any latent moss or mould visible or invisible. Do not rinse off, just allow it to evaporate.
Top up joint sand
It is always advisable to top up the jointing sand after cleaning and sealing with Kingfisher Block Fill. Kingfisher Block Fill is a weed inhibiting, moisture curing grout which reduces the incidence of weed growth in the joints and stabilises the blocks by replacing the kiln dried sand washed out during cleaning. Your paving is now ready for sealing.
Choosing the right sealer
There are a great many different types of paving, from natural products like slate and sandstone to the more ubiquitous man made concrete blocks and flags familiar to most of us. Consequently there are choices to make about which sealer to use and we strongly advise that you apply to a limited discreet test area to ensure colour and finish compatibility before proceeding to full application.

Clear sealers
99% of sealers are Clear resins (e.g. K-Seal Total) so they will pick up the colour of the surface to which they are applied and darken it.

These are perfect for treating paving which is less than 5 years old or paving where a slightly aged patina appearance is preferred. On most hard surfaces K-Seal Total gives an excellent, durable matt-satin finish when two coats are applied. As an alternative we have our Ultimate Topcoat premium product which is a higher solids (resin) content and gives a more definite satin finish. For a Gloss finish try our Imprintseal sealer.

Coloured (Pigmented) Sealers
Mainly used on older block paving which has lost its original colour, our Restore-A-Drive is a combined resin and pigmenting sealer. Restore-A-Drive can really improve the appearance of faded block paving, bringing back that new look. We generally recommend one coat of Restore-A-Drive followed by an application of Ultimate Topcoat for enhanced durability.