Greater Toronto Area Interlock – Interlock Driveway Sealing

Interlock sealing in Toronto and surrounding areas. Sealing interlocking driveways is thought as a service used to enhance colour and gloss, but sealing interlocking driveways, patios and walkways adds a more important role to paver stones. Interlock over a period of time can become brittle and not only crack but crumble. This is caused by U.V. rays from our sun and “extracting the life right out of the stones”.Applying sealer can actually “hydrate” the stones and keep them intact, and colour fading to a halt.

Sealer is offered in high-gloss and semi-gloss (matt) for driveways, patios and walkways. If applying to a surface never before seen sealer, or a last application was made more than 3 years, achieving a high-gloss look may not result depending on the stone product surface is rough or smooth.

There are two types of sealer in the market today, waterborne and oil-base products. Applying an oil-base sealer onto a stone will turn the stone’s colour to a wet-look, just like how it appears after a rain storm, and remain that colour for about 3 years. A waterborne product when applied does not change the colour of the stones and depending on high-gloss or semi-gloss will result. Oil-base products make a dramatic change and can be seen for a longer time than waterborne products, however keep in mind though one appears there and the other not, that both are still “hydrating” the stones and keeping it all together so it does not allow it to crack and crumble for a longer lasting beautiful life!

GTA Interlock Ltd. uses waterborne products, however if requested, oil-base products at this time is still available. When applying oil-base sealer, toxic fumes are released into the air and precautions must be taken for both workers and you. Applying waterborne sealer does not give off the same toxicity and is safer for everyone, but cautions are always taken none the less. With the environment in mind, it is a healthier choice to apply waterborne sealer.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Using Sealer isn’t always easy, there are some issues that may occur resulting in the finishing product to appear milky and leave white residue / patches on the surface that not always can be repairable, however as UV rays damage stones, same applies to sealer, eventually the sealer and white patches will disappear in time. GTA Interlock Ltd. has encountered this issue with some clients without knowing the real cause. Some of the known causes are as follow:


1.Water Entrapment:
When the water tries to evaporate beneath the stones the condensation builds under the sealer causing chemical reaction hence white patches.

2.Too much sealer: A white substance may appear after application of sealer if the client has had more than 3 applications in a decade on the same stones.

3.Weather: In able to apply sealer with best results it would be ideal to have 2 straight days with zero rain/water/humidity. It is very important that clients with sprinkler systems to be shut down for the time period before and after sealer application to avoid complications.

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