Does colour of paving bricks fade?

aido76

Looking for some paving bricks at the moment and thought I found what I was looking for till I rang a place today and was told that the colour is only on the top of the brick (which I knew) and will discolour/fade over time (which I didn't know) if I dont use a sealer every year which, he said, will cost a bit over time. He told me to go for a true colour brick which has the colour running through the brick and wont fade. Needless to say these are a much dearer brick. I don't mind the colour fading a bit but if it goes completely then I will be left with just a concrete colour brick:(. Do these bricks that only have the top edge coloured, fade that badly?

swifts need our help!

They darken with age due to algae, moss and general dirt

aido76

Can I take it that they don't really fade so? Will a powerwasher clean them? If it does and th powerwasher cleans them then I think I will go with the cheaper bricks with only colour on the top edge.

Sonnenblumen

The colour on surface dyed pavers eventually fades to reveal little more than the base concrete material. A budget type paver, but for colour which will last longer, you'd be better to for a type which has pigmentation throughout.

Note all surface materials unless regularly cleaned will discolour/darken as a consequence of wear and tear, grime etc.

looksee

We have had a drive down for about 4 years, the paviers that only have about 8mm depth of colour. They have toned down a little as you would expect of any surface, but they have not been sealed or powerwashed. They still look fine.

tipptom

Sun is a real enemy as well as it bleaches the colour,was on a site one time where they had to go back and put a narrow trench through the driveway after about a year and they put down new pavers for some reason,there was a big differance between the shades.I think if you put down the sealer that we use for imprint paving when they go down first then you should not have to do them for another 3 years,plus it should protect them from oil stains.You would be talking approx €120 a drum that would cover 80-90m2 and it really brings out a vibrant colour.

aido76

Thanks for all the replies guys. Some great info there. Good to hear the paving still looks fine after 4 years without any treatment Looksee. I'm still leaning towards the cheaper option.
Tipptom, Whats the name of the sealer? I will only have 30m2 or so to do. Would the unused sealer last a couple of years once open, or is there smaller containers available? Where is the best (cheapest) place to but it? I am in the Gslway area.

tipptom

aido76 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys. Some great info there. Good to hear the paving still looks fine after 4 years without any treatment Looksee. I'm still leaning towards the cheaper option.
Tipptom, Whats the name of the sealer? I will only have 30m2 or so to do. Would the unused sealer last a couple of years once open, or is there smaller containers available? Where is the best (cheapest) place to but it? I am in the Gslway area.

I know Wickes and B&q do it in small containers which i think might cover you for your area.iI wouldnt be sure about it being around for 3 years or so,i know that if any water gets in to it that it will leave white blotches on your paving and then you have to get another chemical xyleene to get them out.If you are getting someone to quote for laying them have them quote for sealing them as well,they might throw it in to get the job.Google imprint paving sealer and you might find guys around Galway that do it and if not i will give you a no for a guy in cork but there would be carraige involved unfortunatly.Try the stores first and they might not be to bad pricewise,it will say the square meterage it will cover on the back.

lemonade1

Face mix gives a beter finish than a thru mix and will last as long as required. higher dose of pigment is used for face mix.the finished brick has a finer more closed finish.Good bricks will have 6mm min of face mix if this wears off they are done but not many people will live to see this happen on their drive.They key to good face mix is in the manufacturing. So go for the cheaper brick as long as its a good manufacturer.
Careful when buying sealers. Some can make your paving look pretty ugly giving a shinny finish, some can peel off,.Picseal is a good one although not cheap.It is good for maybe 2 or 3 years before reapplying. Ive found that it take less second time around so it cheaper.