Block paving sealers

Sealers for concrete block drives, patios and paths: less water uptake, a cleaner surface and the colour you want. Plus cleaners that get the paving ready for sealing.

Finish
Invisible leaves the colour alone. Wet look markedly deepens it, as rain does - but it stays, and only stripping the coat takes it off. A colour sealer gives a new shade and covers uneven fading.
Base
Water-based when ease of working matters. Solvent-based when the paving is dense and low in absorbency.
State of the paving
Efflorescence and oil stains have to go before sealing - a sealer fixes whatever it finds.

30 products

Guides

Before you choose: how to pick the right product, prepare the surface and what to expect once it is on.

Concrete block paving is porous. Water enters it along with whatever it carries: road salt in winter, oil from under a car, tannins from fallen leaves. Sealing lowers that uptake, so soiling stays on the surface and washes off instead of working into the concrete.

Wet look block paving sealer

A wet look deepens the colour the way rain does, except that it stays. HK-2 is a water-based sealer that holds a deep colour without making the surface more slippery, so it suits drives and steps as well. For a more pronounced look, choose the solvent-based EI-15, applied in two thin coats at least a day apart. The water-based EI-23 gives a wet look without a strong smell.

The only way to undo a wet look is to strip the coat, so test it on paving at the back of the house and judge it once dry. We explain how to make the call in the guide invisible sealer or wet look.

Clear and colour block paving sealers

The clear HK-1 leaves the paving in its own colour - all that changes is how water behaves on it. The pores stay open, while rainwater, along with oil, juice or coffee, soaks into the concrete more slowly. When the paving has faded unevenly, a clear sealer will not fix that: the colour sealer EI-19 covers the differences in shade and leaves an even colour.

Water-based or solvent-based

Water-based smells less, goes on more easily and the tools wash out in water. The solvent-based EH-14 penetrates dense paving more deeply but needs a substrate below 5-6 % moisture and good ventilation. More in the guide water-based or solvent-based sealer.

How to seal block paving

  1. Wash the surface. Remove efflorescence, cement laitance and oil stains before sealing, because a sealer fixes whatever it finds. Pick the cleaner in the cleaning and restoration section.
  2. Repair loose blocks and washed-out joints - a sealer will not bind them.
  3. Seal new paving once it has seasoned - before SK-2 that means at least 28 days from production.
  4. Choose a dry day with no rain forecast and no sun on the surface. HK-1 and HK-2 are rainproof after 5-6 hours.
  5. Apply thinly and evenly, with no puddles in the joints. A thicker coat does not protect better, and the excess dries on top as a glossy patch.

We cover the whole process in the guide sealing block paving step by step, and you can work out the quantity with the guide how much sealer do I need.

Questions before you choose

How much sealer do I need for a drive?

Use the calculator on the product page - every product with stated coverage has one. Enter the area and the absorbency of the substrate and it converts them into packs. On older, thirstier paving, work to the lower end of the stated coverage.

How often should sealing be repeated?

When water stops beading. While it forms drops on the surface, the treatment is working. When it starts soaking in again and dark patches return after rain, it is time to seal again. How quickly that happens depends on traffic, sun and whether the drive is salted in winter.

Will sealing make the paving slippery?

Not if you choose a penetrating sealer: it forms no film on the surface, so grip stays the same. The wet-look HK-2 does not make the surface more slippery either. If the paving is already slippery, choose an anti-slip treatment - a sealer will not change that.

What is the difference between water-based and solvent-based?

Water-based smells less, the tools wash out in water and the substrate may be slightly damp. Solvent-based penetrates dense concrete more deeply but needs a dry substrate, ventilation and care near naked flame.