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How to remove sealant on travertine pavers?

I had my garden landscaped and a large amount of travertine pavers layed around the house approximately 12 months ago. Unfortunately the elderly male and his son (close family friends of the landscaper) used brooms to seal the pavers. I noticed after it was done, the brush marks when the sun hit the pavers and wasn't sure if that was normal. As I was having a lot more pavers layed I let it go but luckily did not allow them to seal the rest of the pavers layed under and around the verandah.

A few months later I had the front landscaped and mentioned the pavers at the back. The elderly gent came back, looked at it and agreed it was bad but stated it would cost him $5000 to remove and reseal. In this time his son had died and he said "leave it 6 months". I knew it wouldn't improve and being a sucker decided not to argue with him and once we hit dryer weather I'd do it myself. The time has come. Could you please tell me the best product to use to strip it and any tips so I can finally clean up the mess. Thank you.

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MitchellMc

Hi @lindasma,

Do you happen to know what sealant was used on the pavers? Figuring that out would be the first step in the removal process. You need to know what the sealer was to determine what the stripping agent will be. Now, to understand the situation correctly, are you unhappy with the sealed appearance or just the application technique, as it has left brush marks? I ask because stripping sealant is a tedious, messy and, in some scenarios, a next-to-impossible task. If it was a penetrative sealer, then it's now in the pores of the natural stone, and that's not something you can remove. You might be able to remove enough to diminish the brush strokes and then re-apply with a different application tool.

Considering all this, it's important to weigh how bad the finish is versus the effort to correct it. I'm unsure about your first image, but the brush strokes look noticeable in the second image. I'm quite surprised that they appear so prominently and suspect there is something else going on here apart from just the application being done with a brush.

If you can try and find out what product was used, and if it was one of ours, I can contact the manufacturer to discuss ways to resolve this issue. It would be worth doing a test section with this Crommelin 1L Water Rinsable Surface Cleaner And Sealer Remover as it will remove both water and solvent-based sealants. Make sure you do the test in an inconspicuous location before committing to the whole area. Remember to follow the PPE instructions on the can.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

lindasma

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/33216#Comment_33216

Thanks Mitchell. I'll give the landscaper a ring and see if he can tell me what was used. I've added another photo. This is after I pressure washed. I'm not happy with the sealed appearance . I thought it might fade but it didn't. It's much more obvious than in the photo.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78929#Comment_78929

It certainly doesn't look too flash @lindasma. That texture has me a bit puzzled, though. See the lighter stroke marks? Can you feel those areas and see if they are raised? Although it clearly looks like brush marks, it makes me wonder if these brush marks are actually a texture in the paver itself and if the sealant has highlighted them. Sounds absurd, as travertine wouldn't have brush marks in it, but like I said earlier, I suspect something else is going on here rather than just application technique. Perhaps it could even be as simple as them not loading the brush up with sealer properly and just doing a quick brush over the paver with a half-dry brush.

Mitchell

lindasma

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/103747#Comment_103747

I went out and checked it. There isn't any rise between the paver and the sealant. I watched them and they used hard bristle brooms. It's definitely not the travertine as I allowed them to do the front pathway after I showed them the back and they used a dust type mop with a chamois type cover and it looks great. I've added photos of my left over travertine pre sealed and the other type of mop they used.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118921#Comment_118921

Right, I suspect the hard bristle broom couldn't hold enough sealer, and it just partially dragged sealer across the surface @lindasma.

Mitchell

lindasma

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127972#Comment_127972

Thank you. It does look patchy. I'm going to give the landscaper a call and see what sealant was used and I'll get back to you. Thanks so much for your help and have a lovely New Year.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133873#Comment_133873

Any luck as yet getting more information @lindasma?

Jason

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