Paver walkways, driveways, and patios look amazing when they are installed, but once you apply a wet look sealer to your pavers, you’ll fall in love with the look even more.
Wet look sealers are designed to darken the color of the pavers to bring out any dull and faded coloring. Under the category of wet look sealers there are penetrating water repellent sealers and acrylic sealers. Each type of wet look sealer will provide a different look, and they will protect the pavers different.
Penetrating Wet Look Paver Sealer
Penetrating wet look sealers like the Armor WL550 will slightly enhance the color of the pavers in order to bring out any dull and faded coloring. The Armor WL550 penetrates into the paver where it leaves behind a hydrophobic barrier within the pores. The barrier is designed to reduce water absorption by up to 95%, and also reduce damage and deterioration caused by water absorption.
Penetrating wet look sealers like the Armor WL550 are very popular because they offer a slight enhancement without the surface film. There isn’t a coating to maintain, and the product can provide years of life before the need for a reseal.
Acrylic Wet Look Paver Sealer
If you want a more dramatic color enhancement, or if you want a low to high gloss finish, acrylic sealers are a better option for a achieving a wet look on pavers. Solvent based acrylic sealers will offer the most dramatic color enhancement, and they will leave behind a low to high gloss surface film. Great solvent based wet look sealers are the Armor AR350, Armor AR500, and Armor AX25. Water based acrylic sealers will offer less of a color enhancement, but they will leave behind a low to high gloss surface film. Great water based acrylic sealers are the Armor WB15 and Armor WB25.
Penetrating sealers are designed to reduce damage and deterioration from below the surface, but acrylic sealers are designed to stop damage and deterioration on the surface. If you want complete protection and a visible surface film, an acrylic sealer is a great option.
Things To Consider When Sealing Pavers
Pavers are very porous and tend to soak up a lot of material. For that reason, the amount of color enhancement and gloss can be reduced. While the results can be controlled partially through application, a third coat may be required for consistent coverage. If you have questions about how to achieve a wet look on pavers, reach out to the manufacturer of the product you are interested in using. Applying the product to a test area is also suggested to get a better idea of how much product your pavers will require in order to get the look you want.