Brick Paver Sealant?

[chim]

Looking for some sort of sealer or finish to apply to bricks that were used as pavers for the purpose of improving the appearance at our church. Looks like someone capped steps with regular bricks when the concrete steps deteriorated. They're laid finish side up (in the position of a wall that fell over).

The mortar occasionally breaks out and has been touched up at least twice before my current attempt leaving three or four different shades of mortar. When it's wet it looks great because the water makes it all look very similar. When it's dry it isn't pretty.

I was wondering if someone here has used a sealant or coating that may have it retain that wet look. If the sealer darkens the bricks and mortar it won't matter. There isn't anything it needs to match nearby. Thank you.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Stone sealer, there are quite a few different manufactures of it.
It's a silicone sealer that enhances and gives it a wet look.
Some of the Exterior sealers will have a UV blocker too.

Here is one example:

"WET LOOK" odorless Stone Sealer #6 for Marble Granite Travertine & Slate 1 gall | eBay

The sealer is water based with no solvents or VOC and is non-toxic and nonflammable. Do not over apply the sealer and remove any excess from the surface within 5 minutes using a clean dry white cloth.

www.ebay.com

and another:

Glaze 'N Seal 5 gal. Color Enhancer Waterproofing Sealer 974 - The Home Depot

Protect your driveways, garage floors and pool areas by selecting this Glaze 'N Seal Concrete and Masonry Waterproofing Impregnator.

www.homedepot.com

 

[chim]

Wow, that was quick! Thank you.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm, 'bricks' as in clay bricks ? If so , you may have a big problem. Water can get in behind them and they will fail faster during 'freeze/thaw' cycles...aka winter. Sealing the 'face'(the side you see ) doesn't allow water from the backside to escape. Mortar in joints should last at least 70 years.Could be wrong mortar was used, not jointed tight enough.

 

[chim]

The bricks look like the same as used in walls. I was able to see one brick from a different perspective and it has the core holes. The faces have a sort of finish on them. Perhaps just a glaze from firing? As mentioned, they are not laid up in a wall. The finish side is facing up. It is not the approach I'd have used to deal with the deteriorating concrete steps. I'm trying to deal with the hand we've been dealt. With some of the repairs I've seen we're lucky someone didn't replace the steps with a water slide for DOWN and a tow rope for UP

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Would really like to see a picture or 2 of them. Most 'house bricks' are clay, though mine are concrete.
Stairs are kind of a safety thing and at a church , really, really a safety issue. Lots of old folks so footing is important.

 

[chim]

Went to paint and masonry departments at HD today and asked about their Wet Look and Color Enhancer and other sealers. The guy said these would be OK if my problem was the appearance when they became wet. They wouldn't work the other way around. Figured I'd do a little test.

Here's a picture. The row of 8 or so neraer the bottom of the picture were misted with a little Armorall. The row above them were dampened with some plain water. Appearance is almost identical. I'm wondering if applying some silicone spray may be the answer. The roughness and porosity of the brick keep them from being slippery.

 

[WFM]

If you ever have a leaking chimmy where water is leaking thru the brick or cement block.
Siloxane is the sealer. My nephew a stone mason used it on my chimmy and my shop block wall.
It makes it water tight.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The guy at HD does not have a clue....

I've used similar products to make stone color pop out.

If you just want to seal it use a silicone sealer, but caution some sealers will make the surface slippery when wet.

I'll look around and see if I have any bricks laying around and do a test for you.

 

[chim]

Thank you NIW. That would be great. If everything ends up being a tad darker, that would be fine. The part about "brings out hidden colors" was a concern. I'm trying to hide variations and not enhance them. As you can see, there are a number of different hues in the mortar. There are also what look like leftover haze from where I scrubbed the slopped mortar off. The muriatic removed much of it but when the surfaces dry, there are traces of mortar.. I prefer not to hit them again with the acid.

As mentioned, the brick surface is rough enough to eliminate worries about slipping unless I'd use a couple coats of paint.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Oh I guess i misunderstood, I thought you wanted darker.
If you want to just seal and protect use the Olympic multi surface.
If will add a slight hue difference but nothing drastic and no haze.

Olympic Waterguard 1 gal. Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofing Sealer 55548XI-01 - The Home Depot

Get your professional job done with comfort and ease by choosing this Olympic Waterguard Clear MultiSurface Waterproofing Sealant.

www.homedepot.com

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