21 Feb Ideal Conditions for Sealing Hardscape Surfaces
What You Need to Know Before Having Your Outdoor Spaces Sealed!
There are several factors that affect the overall result of sealing your outdoor space. While certain obstacles, such as patio furniture, outdoor grills, or even cars in the driveway can be easily moved; some of the conditions are dependent on moisture, temperature and timing. If you’re having your outdoor patio, driveway, or walkway sealed, here are some of the ideal conditions that produce the best results.
Moisture: During our process, the first step is to ensure that your outdoor space is thoroughly power-washed and clean. To get the best results after cleaning the surface but before sealing application, the surface is examined to determine its moisture content. Excess moisture at any location can become trapped underneath the surface after application. This leads to unsightly spotting and an undesirable finish overall. Before your surface is sealed, plan to turn off any irrigation near the affected area. Irrigation heads are notorious for spraying excess water onto nearby surfaces. The drier the surface the more effective finish you will get out of your sealed space.
Temperature: All sealers have a minimum temperature range in which they will be effective. This range typically stems around 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer conditions are, the quicker the sealer can react and form a protective surface on your outdoor space. Although we have not observed a time where temperatures were too high to seal an outdoor space, several sites suggest that bubbling or spider-web like formations will appear on your surface. These happen due to the solvent hardening before the sealer has time to set in, trapping gas and air within the sealer.
Timing: Timing is one of the more controllable factors when sealing an outdoor space. We’ve had our best results during the late spring and summer months when moisture is low and there is plenty of warm weather. Should you want your driveway, walkway, or patio space to be sealed, it is also important to wait 24 hours after the sealing process has been completed to use that space. This means coordinating parking, outdoor events, as well as keeping pets off the space for at least 24 hours. One day’s wait is definitely worth it to have a like-new outdoor living space.
All of these conditions factor in when planning an upcoming sealing job. As experts in the business, we identify and clearly communicate and concerns in these instances to ensure that your sealer takes hold and you receive the best possible finish. By doing this, we often have seen our clients return for yearly sealer applications while being extremely satisfied with the end result!