Is it necessary to seal sandstone patio?

Hi,

We had a sandstone patio put down nearly 4 years ago. We have done nothing to it since. I was thinking of getting it cleaned and was quoted €100 (10ft*40ft). The guy suggested sealing it which would be another €300, is this necessary? Will i still have to get it cleaned every year? How often will it have to be sealed?

Thanks

Edzers

Sandstone is porous, so needs to be sealed to protect against staining. How often will depend on the product used, but could be every 5-10 years.

Sealing isn't difficult, so you could price the sealant and do the job yourself?

100 euro for cleaning and 300 euro for sealing? That's mad money! I seal my travertine patio with 2 coats of sealer every year. It restores the true colour beautifully. Every 4 years or so, I power-wash it, re-grout with patio sand and the following week I give it 2 coats of sealer if the sun is shining for the day.

Borrow a power washer, once the patio dries out fully, watch out for a good dry day. it'll cost you time and the price of a tin of sealer!

Actually, for the €400...you could buy a power washer and still have plenty of change!

I sealed mine last year which stopped a lot of the grime and mould sticking. This year I purchased a power washer from the local Arrow dealers (Co-op €100) with one of those spinning brush attachments and it worked brilliantly, cleaning it very quickly.