My opinion: don't use it. My advice: don't use it. We are talking about natural stone and not concrete aren't we?

Hello.. it's natural flagstone with brick edge, some quartz in it makes a glitter to contrast with the dull look.

should I let them pressure wash it though?

My only gripe is the grout clean up was kind of sloppy and maybe a pressure washer would clean it up better.

Can you post a picture?

What do you mean by your last sentence, if there are gobs of mortar on the stone a pressure washer won't take them off. How bad is it?

hmmm, I don't think I'd seal it.

I've been building a stone retaining wall/flower bed and I thought about sealing it becase I really like the way it looks wet, but I have moss growing and don't want to mess that up...

I probably didn't read this correctly, but you know the sealer won't get the sloppy concrete up, right? Pressure washing..I don't know. I'd THINK it would be okay, but maybe someone who knows more could chime in...again, I wouldn't want to pressure wash my wall because of the moss and plants, but you probably don't want moss growing on a patio. Please post a picture!

Suzie

Hello, I don't have any pictures but the stones are very nice and mortared together.

It does look better when wet, so I am thinking of sealing it because I have alot more landcaping to do and I always make the patio muddy.. and I also like to have dinner /BBQ outside so it would guard against spills etc.

So far I found this solvent based sealers from Aldon, I am not associated with them just found their site very detailed. Has anyone used their product.

Here is a link that might be useful: aldon website

poorowner, did you ever seal the flagstone? If so, how do you like it? I've got the same question as my wife wants them sealed but I'm thinking no. Ours in in dirt, around a pool, and will have ground-cover between the stones. She thinks that by sealing it, we will always have the wet look, and also it will keep the white dust from perculating up.

I have a flagstone on cement slab patio that is about 2 years old. A contractor is recommending I seal the patio. What is the benefit of sealing a stone-on-cement patio? does it prevent water from seaping into mortar joints? Does that keep it protected during the winter freezing months?

Thanks

Here is the patio after sealed with a solvent based sealer. I know some people might prefer unsealed but I feel this give a little boost of color and protection. (and, it is supposed to stop efflorescence)

I think it needs to be redone every few years as nothing is made to endure the intense sun here.

Any comments?

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I have a question for Poorowner - which flastone did you use for your patio? The flagstone shown on the photos look great! I do prefer the sealed look.

Thanks,

Hi.. unfortunately I don't know the name of the flagstone, I went to the landscape yard to pick out the batch for the contractor to use. But it's a colorful variety with alot of quartz (as you see the shine from the unsealed pictures those, from are the quartz). You should be able to find the same in your area. We like it alot, I was worried it was going to be too colorful but it's just what was needed as a focal point.

I think it is Gold Rush Quartzite... Thank you for the quick response.

What type/brand did you use? Did you do this yourself? If so, was it difficult? Looks Great!

I have used Enhancer Pro from DuPont on two of my decks in the past. It is solvent based but worked like a charm. The main issue I was worried about was efflorescence but the color absolutely pops now. I had an outfit called Texas Stone Sealers do it because they offered a warranty. Opted for that instead of DIY.

I had the same issues w/flagstone~just looked too dull. I had my landscaper put a sealer on, and even though I told him I wanted a matte, it still has a slight sheen, but I like it a lot better than the 'raw' look of the stone.

The only problem I seem to be having is it's a bit slippery when it's wet, even in my tennies. The grand kids were over the other day and GD slipped in bare feet, too. I'm hoping it wears off a little. Have you noticed if yours is slippery? I'm sure all sealers have to be the same. My stone is not real textured, so maybe that's it. Just gotta be careful.

I prefer the unsealed look. Is there possibly a way to just treat the subgrade to lower the acidity or alkalinity of the soil? I will look more into the causes of efflorescence (white chalky residue). My Flagstone patio is installed over rundle chips over gravel , over geotextile.

my contractor applied a seal before it was completely dry plus it rained the first night. It left a milky look. What should be done now?

The crevices in our flagstone (installed by a previous owner so no choice on color here) catch and hold the dirt that rains down on it from the trees above it. I am hoping a sealer will eliminate it always being a monochromatic mud color. Any feedback for this issue?