OT - Flagstone Sealer/Stain

Spring Chicken

This is sort of 'On Topic' because I'm trying to enhance the view of The Coop where my Eggs are. Hopefully, there is among you someone who knows what I should or shouldn't do.

I have flagstoned our patio with Colorado Red flagstone and now it doesn't look like the nice natural 'red' of the stones. I suspect it's because the contractor sealed the patio and thereby protected the top from absorbing surface water, but not keeping it from absorbing moisture from below. The sealer may be preventing the stone from breathing and therefore making it turn color.

What I want is to bring up the red coloring to it's natural state. I don't want to have to stain it but if necessary I will, assuming there is a product that does that.

Any suggestions would be deeply depreciated.

Spring "You Load Sixteen Tons And What Do You Get" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

FlaPoolman

Leroy, this is a great sealer to give the wet look and if you want to stain just lookup watershades on their site.

http://www.innovativeconcrete.com/pdfs/Paver Coat.pdf

AlwaysGolf

Hey Poolman

Not to take over Springs thread, but can I use that on limestone. My counters in the Egg-Ma-Hall show a lot of charcoal stains and I would like to redo them with something that I can just wipe and also give it a shine, may also want to stain them. Thanks for the info on the brsket, but I had already bit the bullet and put them on before I read your email. Yor are alright for a Gator!

Slick

Might want to try power wash and Thompson's.

Beli

Leroy. We use liquid chlorine to clean all quarry stone terraces outside it does a beautiful job....bringing up the real colour.... never applied any sealant. Don't know your type of stone but you may want to try it on a little area & see how it goes...

Spring Chicken

Thanks Beli,

I'll probably run up to my pool supply place this afternoon and give it a try on a small area.

I talked to a masonary supply guy and he said not to use muriatic acid like I first thought. He also said not to use cheap water sealers like Thompson's. Maybe he wasn't aware of clorine being used as a cleaner.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Spring "Bricks And Stones Are Breaking My Bones" Chicken

Spring Chicken

Thanks Pat,

I had a feeling you might jump in with an idea or two. I looked up the site and they just may have what I'm looking for as a sealer. Gotta clean it first and Beli may have offered a solution.

I'll keep you posted.

Spring "Currently Stoned" Chicken

Spring Chicken

If your suggestion was for me, I spoke to a masonary guy and he said pressure washing won't do the job of getting the old sealer off because it's probably Thompson's, which he strongly advises not to use.

Thanks anyway.

Spring "Some Things Work And Some Don't" Chicken

FlaPoolman

Hey AG I'll find out for you. Might be better off with the water based for that but I need to ask them. By the way the owner of that company while not an egg owner yet is a big fan. Anytime he or his sales rep are going to be in town they call me ahead of time to fire it up and they bring the beer.

FlaPoolman

Chlorine is to remove organic stains i/e mildew etc,, and should be used first. Muratic acid is for removing scale, metal stains, deposits etc,,,
Hope this helps.

YB

I clean all of my flagstone once a year with bleach and they stay looking good Leroy.
Larry

Spring Hen

Wow, Larry, what a beautiful yard. It looks so peaceful and inviting...good job.

Judy