This post was most recently updated on May 10th, 2024
Hi, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior stamped concrete restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior paver prep and stripping. For info about who I am, please read my full bio here.
The Best Clay Paver Sealer
As of 2024, there have not been any significant updates to the different clay sealers available on the market. If you have any questions about the best type of clay sealer for your project, please ask me in our Q&A area below. I am here to help!
Bricks commonly comprise several components: clay, concrete, stone, ceramic, lime, and/or sand. Different materials have different bonding qualities. For those using clay pavers, I recommend choosing the best sealer that will bond to the clay components and give it a beautiful, long-lasting finish.
I do not recommend using either a wet-look sealer or a gloss sealer for clay pavers. When they react with the clay, they tend to dry, blotchy, and unevenly. Wet-look and gloss sealers work very well with concrete brick pavers, so we recommend you seal your concrete brick pavers with wet-look and gloss sealers for a shiny, long-lasting, beautiful finish.
For clay brick pavers, I recommend you use a water-repellant sealer that does not change the appearance of the pavers. Two examples of a water repellant sealer that works very well with clay brick pavers are SuperSeal-M or Masonry Saver Heavy Duty Water Repellant. I have heard very positive reviews about how these dry evenly and smoothly on clay brick pavers and protect the surface from weather and foot traffic. SuperSeal-M’s active ingredients are a mixture of differently-sized particles to best fit different crevices and cracks. It is an ideal sealer for porous substrates, providing excellent coverage and water repellency that lasts longer than the competition. Masonry Saver Heavy Duty Water Repellant contains a blend of silanes and siloxanes that create a “salt-shield” barrier, ideal for waterproofing driveways and sidewalks that need extra protection from salt damage during the winter months.
Do you have a question about the best sealer for clay pavers? I want to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave us a comment with the pictures below.
Different Types of Concrete Sealers Video
I have a new home with 8 corses of clay brick on all sides of the exterior walls. The mason did not clean or rake the finished product and it was layed in March but we moved in june . I cleaned the bricks and did the best to clean loose Mortar but the brick looks very chalky and the colors look good when they are wet . I tried a sample area with Dutchboy gloss Concrete sealer i had from our concrete paver patio. My question is you say the sealer might be blotchy but I want to take… Read more »
Sorry, but we have no experience with Dutchboy gloss Concrete sealer, so not sure.
Thank you for your honesty. I’m just concerned that I can ruin these clay
bricks with a gloss sealer.
i know experts have their reasons
but you stated not to use gloss and
i am curious to the reasons why ?
thanks again. Ps if there is any product you recommend for the wet
look i would appreciate your recommendation
You would be better off with a wet look sealer than a gloss sealer. They are not the same. Look at Surebond SB-6000 for a wet look sealer with no gloss.
Thank you very much for sharing your
knowledge I live in the central Indiana area so hopefully we can find
the recommended product
I am repointing an old clay brick patio and plan on power washing and sealing it afterwards with one of the above-referenced sealers. Should I power wash the bricks before or after I apply the new mortar?
After.
How do you apply sealant for clay pavers
That varies based on the sealer you are using?
Which is better for clay bricks super seal M or masonry saver heavy duty water repellent and how long will it last
they will last the same for clay bricks.
Installed clay fired pavers, dont want to change colorful look just seal for water resistant. (Jacuzee) pavers from Mx
Images all larger than 2mb
Try the Super Seal-M: https://www.concretesealerreview.com/superseal-m-concrete-water-repellent-review/
My patio is made entirely from antique Purington Pavers. I just pressure washed the whole thing, removed all the old joint sand and refilled the joints with a high quality polymeric sand product. It was a lot of work and I want to keep the surface in the best shape possible. I don’t want a wet look, but I would like to seal the bricks and do what I can to strengthen/stabilize the joints. Sounds like Super Seal M or Masonry Saver are the best bets – is one better than the other?
Those would work to seal but will not do anything for the joints. Look at Surebond SB-1300 Joint Stabilizing Sealer.
Hi
I manufacture clay pavers. Product is semi-vitreous (fired at 1950 degress) and has texture. I am looking for a sealer that I can recommend to the trade/ retail for exterior use (UV protection). I am attaching photo to show comparison of penetrating vs enhancer app. The Bona Mega is not rated for exterior application…would like that look, for exterior, if possible. Low sheen is preferred.
Todd
Maybe the Surebpnd SB-6000 wet look sealer but as the article explains, wet look sealers can dry blotchy on clay pavers.
I have about 500 sq ft (walk and patio) of hand made clay bricks. They were originally somewhat rough and cracked, and that has been worsened by pressure washing. About 15 years ago I applied a wet look sealer, which, as you say, left a milky residue where it pooled in the cracks. Most of that coating has worn off, and I would like to clean them and apply a new seal coat. Does either of the products you recommend here also fix the sand joints? Also, what would you recommenc for cleaning? Thanks.
No. Sealers will not “fix” the sand joints. Pressure wash for cleaning.
I have a clay brick driveway and recently installed polymeric sand for the joints. I would like to seal the pavers for extra protection. My Boston brick pavers have faded somewhat and my driveway isn’t perfectly flat. What is the best sealer for me to use that provides protection. To the elements but also provided a wet look so the colors pop. Thank you for your help.
As the article states above, wet look sealer will not work for clay pavers. Dries blotchy.
Two examples of a water repellant sealer that works very well with clay brick pavers are SuperSeal-M or Masonry Saver Heavy Duty Water Repellant.
I installed clay pavers two years ago but never sealed them. I have recently power washed, resanded and am ready to seal. Should all of the loose sand that remains be washed off prior to sealing? Is it better to blow off the sand?
Yes, blow off the sand.
We need to seal our brick chimneys. Based on your reviews it seems we should use Superseal M or Masonry Saver Vertical Brick Water Repellent. Do you have a preference of one over the other?
Either would be fine.
Best Sealer?
Assuming these are clay bricks.
Is there a ‘wet look’ option?
No, not for clay bricks. Dries uneven.
So I’d like to seal them. What are my options?
So the focus shifts to providing a sealant for them. What options do I have?
1. MasonrySaver Heavy Duty Water Repellent
2. SuperSeal-M Water Repellent
best sealer for saltillo tile installed outdoors??
Sorry but this type of tile cannot be sealed with a concrete or brick sealer.
I just did 500 sq ft of brick pavers, it clearly states made of concrete. I used Super Seal 30 in good weather, looked terrific, then after about 10 days it rained. Now I have 3-4 areas where water puddled that have that grey film, will not sweep off. Is there anything I can do, or should have done?
Post a picture.
Did u receive photos?
No.
Have just re-sent.
No pictures.
Can I send pics Messinger to the TN site?
You may be trying to post pictures that are too high in resolution. For your issue, try applying some Xylene to the areas that have discoloration and see if that fixes it.
Won’t that remove the sealer tho?
Won’t the Xylene remove the sealer?
Xylene is not a stripper. It re-emulsifies the sealer and restores the look when it hardens back up.
Would this section (clay pavers) also apply to saltillo tile?
Yes, that is correct.
I have 400 sq ft of saltillo tile on a covered patio in Arizona (salt is not an issue). Therefore, would Super Seal M be the recommended product? How many coats are required / how many gallons will I need? Did I see that coverage is 200 sq ft per gallon?
One coat. About 2 gallons of the Super Seal-M.
Does application require a heavy duty metal sprayer (as required by Supreme Seal SB-600), or does a regular plastic garden sprayer work with Super Seal-M? If I were to roll, what nap roller would be best?
Plastic pump sprayer will work for the Super Seal-M. You cannot roll it.
I applied Super Seal-M to the saltillo tile after pressure washing it and allowing it to dry. The tile still absorbs water and looks wet after applying the Super Seal-M. Does it absorb in and while still porous, prevent deep absorption to occur? Or, did I not apply it heavily enough? Thanks.
It should bead water at the surface but does prevent deep absorption as well.
It does bead initially. It appears that the tile does absorb a little while it is drying. Should I test a spot spraying a bit more on to see if it absorbs any more to see if I undersprayed? Or just assume it is good enough?
Do one or two tiles and see if it soaks fully and beads better. If so, you can do the rest.
Have you used or seen, BP Pro, Glaze N Seal, Techniseal and Classic Pro 2000? these are my options here in Southern California. I’ve tried some samples already and have an idea what they look like, but it’s all about the long term that I am worried about. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Wet look or gloss sealers will not work for your clay pavers. As the article states, they will dry very blotchy. The ones you mentioned come in wet look/gloss sealers. Make sure to not use those. You want a sealer that will not change the appearance for clay pavers.
Is there any type of sealer that will leave some sort of sheen on clay bricks without leaving a milky white haze?
No. As the article states, it will dry blotchy on clay pavers.
Thank you! I’m directing my clients to this site. This has been the most informative site!
Will either of these 2 products leave any sheen on clay brick pavers?
No.