What about Sealing Concrete, Pavers, Brick, Stucco, Stone, etc...?

Not a single thread about up-selling protection for any of these surfaces???

Come on guys… What do I have to do to convince you you’re doing the hard part and leaving the easy $$$ on the table?

Have you ever been to a car wash where they didn’t try to sell you a wax job along with the wash? Ever bought a piece of furniture where the salesman didn’t offer to spray it with some magical stain repellent before you left the store? Most customers who care enough to clean something, also care enough to protect it. If they don’t, you may be working on the wrong side of the tracks…

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Good question David.

We do the heck out of cleaning and seal brick pavers that are mortar set.

We have two sand set paver cleans this week.

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I was just talking about this to another member. It’s so easy to do and it pays very well. The cleaning is by far the hardest part.

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I have cleaned and sealed smaller aggregate jobs like walks, patios and driveways. I don’t mind the smaller jobs but would rather not do large jobs. We have always rolled the sealer on. Is that how you guys do it? I was told years ago that you could spray it on with a good pump up sprayer but I didn’t have much luck with that. (just ruined a good sprayer) Also I have two customers asking me about sealing their plain, ordinary concrete driveways. I have never sealed ordinary concrete. Do you use the same sealer as you would on aggregate?

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I use a decent pump sprayer. Cut the edges with a roller or brush if I have to. I keep a piece of cardboard with me to use as a shield and the sprayer normally handles it just fine. I may follow up with a roller after spraying it if it doesn’t look like it’s going on even. There good money in sealing… If I had to buy a new sprayer for every job it would still be worth it.

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You should be fine with with the same sealer… I’d ask the guys in the paint store you get it from. They should know for sure.

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Evey job is different every customer has different needs and desires. The sealer you choose for each unique job will depend on lots of factors like… Has the surface ever been sealed before? If so, what type of product will be compatible with the existing sealer? What is the customer looking for in a finished product? Gloss? Matte? Natural appearance or a “wet look”?

Most aggregate sealing is done with a solvent based acrylic. It gives the aggregate a beautiful dark, wet enhanced color, but regular broom finished concrete on the other hand often turns out splotchy and discolored with this type of sealer. In most cases, penetrating sealers are much better for regular concrete, but once again it really comes down to figuring out what is right for each particular project.

I wrote an article a couple years ago for eClean called “Sealers 101” Check it out at http://www.ecleanmag.com/wp-content/community/uploads/2012/03/Sealers-101.pdf

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Good tip, I’ll have to make sure I position myself for the upsell, I’ll have to spend some time working out how to sell it and make sure I get the cost right… thanks for the tip…

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If you have any questions PM me. I’d be more than happy to help you out.

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Are you talking about a regular concrete sealer? Or something special… Also what kind of prices are you getting per sq/ft?

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I’m interested to know what prices you are getting per sq/ft as well. I like the idea…

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I change $1 per Sq ft. So if a driveway is 700 sq ft I charge $700

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Is that $1 sq/ft for cleaning and sealing?

For clean and seal. It’s a two day process. Clean one day, allow to dry, and in the afternoon spray the sealant.

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wow… I like those prices… and what you use a pump sprayer for the sealer? I would like to PM you if you don’t mind sharing some more info. with me…

Yes I use a 2.5 gallon back pack sprayer. I get H&C paver sealer because I found it last much longer than anything you’d buy in a box store. The sealant cost $100-$150 for 5 gallons (if you don’t have an account with your retailer) and it has to be done In Two separate days or else the finish will come out milky. So clean, re sand the the cracks of the need it, and call it a day. I found I don’t need much sand on pavers because I clean them backwards. I’ll go from the bottom of the driveway to the top so some of the sand works it’s way back into the cracks. Two day around 1:00 pm I head back over to the house and begin sealing. You’ll need at least two coats! If the pavers have never been sealed before you may need 3 coats. Just a tip… If a client wants a gloss finish (appears to be wet) spray it with the natural first and do your final coat with the gloss. The gloss is much more expensive and there’s no reason to have it on your based coat. In the end typically half of the total bid is profit… Only bad thing is it takes two days and if the forecast calls for rain then you just lost money because your not going to be able to spray that day. Oh I almost forgot… The big dogs use a diaphragm pump on large sealing jobs. If I did enough of it I’d get a dedicated pump/hose/wand just to seal but a lot of people don’t like spending that much money on their pavers.

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Thanks for all the info. Great timing as well I had a call yesterday from a gentleman asking about sealing some stamped concrete. Would that be about the same process?

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Yes… Sealing is sealing is sealing. Good luck and Pm me if you have any questions

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I just read the article about sealers. One obvious question…How well would a sealer work for protecting driveways against engine oil stains? Which would be recommended?

I like H&C. I can get it here locally and it so far no complaint on its longevity. It definetly helps with engine oil… It doesn’t allow it to soak into the concreate.