Exposed aggregate sealing, explained properly

Two sealer families, two different jobs

Every sealer on an exposed aggregate surface is doing one of two things, and the choice between them decides the look, the maintenance and the feel underfoot.

Penetrating sealers soak into the concrete and work invisibly, repelling water and oil from within the surface. The finish stays close to the dry, natural colour of the stone, the texture stays exactly as washed, and there is no film to wear, peel or scuff. They suit surfaces that should not announce themselves: period homes, pool surrounds where glare and slip both matter, and anyone who wants the stone rather than the shine.

Film-forming sealers sit on top of the surface as a clear layer. They deepen every colour a tone or two, the way the surface looks wet, and they take the first hit from oil, tannin stains and tyres, which is why they are the common choice on driveways. The film is sacrificial: it dulls and wears with traffic and sun, and renewing it is what a reseal is.

Wet look or natural

The wet look question is really a question about the paste and stone you chose. A charcoal blend under a wet look film reads richer and darker, and the contrast between stone and paste tightens. A pale Lilydale surface under the same film can go slightly yellow-warm, which is sometimes wanted and sometimes not. A penetrating sealer keeps either close to its dry sample. This is why samples are viewed wet and dry on site: the wetted sample is an honest preview of the film-sealed surface, and the dry one previews the natural finish.

Grip, and slopes in particular

Exposed aggregate starts life as one of the grippier surfaces you can pour, which is why it turns up on ramps and pool surrounds. A penetrating sealer leaves that texture untouched. A film sealer smooths it by a degree, and on a sloping driveway that degree matters, so film systems on slopes carry a fine additive in the final coat that restores the bite without changing the look. Melbourne's east has enough sloping blocks, particularly around Doncaster and Templestowe, that this is a standard part of how a sealer is specified rather than an upgrade.

How long each lasts

As a working guide: film sealers on a trafficked driveway want renewing every three to five years, sooner in full sun and on wheel paths, longer under cover. Penetrating sealers typically go longer between applications because there is no film to wear through, though their water repellency also fades with UV and traffic. Either way the surface tells you: water stops beading and soaks straight in, colour flattens off, and a failing film shows worn tracks and white or milky patches where it is lifting.

When to reseal, and what it costs

Resealing is the cheapest work we do and the most cost effective: it is priced per square metre with a pressure clean included, and it is what keeps a $10,000 driveway from ever needing to be a $10,000 driveway again. The resealing and restoration service covers the process and the price range, the cost guide puts it beside every other rate, and the calculator gives a figure for your area. If the sealer has been left long enough that the surface is stained or the stone is wearing loose, that is assessed honestly at the site measure: most surfaces come back with a clean and two coats, and the ones that will not are told so before any money changes hands.

New surfaces are sealed after cure as part of the job: the specification sets out where sealing sits in the build sequence, and every driveway, patio and path is handed over with its reseal interval in writing.

Not sure what is on your surface now? Get a free quote and it gets identified at the site measure.