Sealing paving stones

[just me]

Solvent based and water based sealers are both available, what are the differences? Is one more durable than the other? Do both darken the color of light paving stones? How durable is a sealed surface......will pulling chairs in and out from around a table leave scrapes? How often does it need to be reapplied?
I want to seal it for the darken effect it has and not so much for the protective qualities, but I really don't want to seal it if there are problems that come with it.
Any advise, pros and cons?

[jbelia]

I applied waterbased concrete sealer to the patio I built with paving stones. It didn't necessarily darken the color, it just made the contrast between light and dark colors in the stones more pronounced. It give the stones a very crisp look. I didn't notice any scraping caused by chairs, tables, kids, bikes, etc. I did notice however, that after about 8 months, the stones looked a little duller than when new. This could be from the sealer wearing off, or just the stones getting worn down. I would say that the sealer needs to be applied yearly took keep the patio looking good.

Good Luck!
Jeff

quote:Originally posted by just me

Solvent based and water based sealers are both available, what are the differences? Is one more durable than the other? Do both darken the color of light paving stones? How durable is a sealed surface......will pulling chairs in and out from around a table leave scrapes? How often does it need to be reapplied?
I want to seal it for the darken effect it has and not so much for the protective qualities, but I really don't want to seal it if there are problems that come with it.
Any advise, pros and cons?