Limited 3-Year Warranty

Efflorescence is not covered by this warranty but is occasionally covered by the stone manufacturer. According to the ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute), efflorescence is a natural process in which a random white haze may appear on the surface of the brick, caused by lime or water-soluble calcium oxide that rises to the surface after repeated saturations. It does not affect the integrity of the bricks and will usually resolve itself with time and exposure to the elements.

The proper sealing of concrete brick pavers can retard or stop the efflorescence process, but this warranty does not imply that efflorescence will stop because of sealing. Covered areas typically experience more efflorescence than areas exposed to rain, which naturally purges it over time. Our breathable sealer allows efflorescence to evaporate out over time. THORNTON'S DOES NOT WARRANTY ANY SITUATION INVOLVING EFFLORESCENCE — it's a natural, unavoidable process.

Concrete is made up of paste (water and cement, 20–40%) and aggregate (60–80%). The fine aggregate (sand) is tinted at the manufacturing plant to give pavers their color. The coarser white pebbles are untinted. Traffic volume, UV exposure, weather, roof drip lines, gutter downspouts, pool cage railings, garden hoses, and many other environmental factors can cause aggregate to show through the paver surface over time. THORNTON'S IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY EROSION OF THE PAVER — those factors are out of our control.

Ants and burrowing insects will tunnel through any surface, including sealed pavers. Sealing WILL NOT stop ants or insects from coming up through sand joints. We cannot warranty or guarantee these issues will not occur. If this happens, use your preferred insecticide around your home — it will not affect the integrity of the sealed paver system, and the small hole made in the sand joint will not compromise joint stability.

Sealing pavers will not stop weeds or mold. It adds a layer of protection and aids in keeping weeds at bay, but too many factors come into play to guarantee prevention for any length of time. It is impossible for us — or anyone in the business — to promise that weeds and mold will not return.

We add a weed and mold inhibitor to every project as a standard part of our process. For weeds: white cooking vinegar poured directly over the weed will kill it without damaging the sealer. For mold: a 50/50 mix of chlorine bleach poured over the surface will kill mold growth without damaging the sealant — rinse after a few minutes with a garden hose.

Sealing is only as good as the quality and condition of the bricks being sealed. No claim is expressed or implied that we can totally remove all stains prior to application. Some stains such as paint, oils, and efflorescence are set deep into the pores of the bricks — total removal is impossible without damaging the brick. Some stains can only be remedied by replacing the brick entirely.

WE DO NOT GUARANTEE 100% removal of any stains we attempt to treat. We use the most powerful commercial pressure washers and a full armament of caustic and non-caustic degreasers, acids, stain removers, paint removers, industrial coating strippers, and rust removers. If a stain cannot be removed after our attempt, it simply cannot be removed without damaging or replacing the surface.

Traffic volume, UV exposure, weather, roof drip lines, downspouts, and other environmental factors can cause joint sand to wash out over time. Thornton's is not responsible for any sand erosion or final settling based on these conditions. Other contributing factors include high/low spots, pavers spaced more than ¼ inch apart, paver shifting, or improper edge restraints.

Any customer-provided sand, or requests to raise sand higher than standard joint level, will void this warranty. Any surface where polymeric sand was previously used cannot be protected under warranty. Some sand loss should be expected during the life of the sealed surface. We offer sand touch-ups for a small fee.

Our urethane-based sealer is fully breathable — it is chemically impossible for it to trap moisture and turn white. White or milky pavers are the result of topical coat sealers (water-based, xylene-based, lacquer-based, or solvent-based) that act as a plastic sheet blocking moisture. In Florida's subtropical climate, these sealers will eventually fail.

If pavers lie in a moisture-ridden substratum due to improper drainage or pavers installed over concrete, bricks may retain moisture and cloud. Only proper drainage will correct this problem, and it is not the responsibility of Thornton's.

Any jobs we strip or recommend to have stripped are not covered under warranty. We cannot guarantee work that has already failed prior to contracting us. Our goal on all stripping projects is to remove 90% of the old sealant. While we often achieve 100%, some rare situations may result in 50% removal.

Customers understand they are paying for effort, labor, materials, and time — not the finished results. When stripping along painted walls, we maintain a standard 2" gap as the stripper's fumes alone can remove paint. If the customer is unsatisfied with stripping results and requests we stop before new sealer is applied, the customer is responsible for 75% of the total job cost. Once sealer has been mixed or applied, the customer is responsible for 100% of the project cost.

Some pavers are more porous than others. Inconsistencies on the same surface can affect the level of sheen, shine, or color enhancement. Thornton's does not guarantee any particular level of shine or color enhancement, or the length of time any aesthetic benefit will last — these are paver-by-paver dependent and do not affect the quality of the work.

We do offer a high gloss additive (an additional wet-look coat) that dramatically increases shine in 99% of applications, though we cannot guarantee it in every case. Lighter-colored pavers (whites, ivory, tans, some grays) will naturally have less dramatic color enhancement — that is simply the nature of those paver colors.

The sealer can be slippery in some cases, and we cannot be liable for this. We automatically include "Diamond Dust" grip additive in all projects around pools and add it to other requested areas at no extra charge. However, some surfaces — especially natural stones like travertine, marble, bluestone, and limestone — may still be more slippery than before sealing. Diamond Dust is a polymer abrasive held together by the sealer; it will wear off based on traffic and elements. Re-application requires re-sealing the entire area.

Projects with pool areas should expect some additional cleaning after we finish. Rinse your filter daily for each day after sealing until no debris remains. Allow your pool system to do its job — it is designed to filter impurities. Schedule your pool company no sooner than 24 hours after job completion. We also offer a one-time professional pool clean-out for $75 for the average pool, which is the responsibility of the homeowner.

We cannot guarantee that sealed surfaces will not get tire marks. Many tires contain a compound called "plasticizer" designed to slightly melt from friction heat — this rubbery material can transfer onto sealed paver surfaces. Ride-on lawnmower tires and abrupt stops or quick accelerations can also leave tire marks. Thornton's is not liable for tire marks on sealed driveways.

For the first 10 days, do not make hard or stiff turns on your newly sealed driveway. Do not pivot your front tires without the vehicle rolling in motion for the first 10 days.

Thornton's takes many measures to protect surrounding plant life from our cleaning solutions. In some cases, plants can be damaged if surrounding soil comes in contact with our solutions. Plants may wilt or brown but will typically re-grow fuller when they bounce back. If you experience damaged foliage, water those areas vigorously for the next 10 days and contact our office to keep us informed.

During pool cage cleanings, the low-pressure chemical application kills plant life growing on the surface but will not remove oxidation or scuff marks on aluminum railings or screens. In some instances, screens may be so damaged by natural erosion that our cleaning process causes further damage — we are not responsible for those damages.

When doing an exterior house wash, we do not clean windows. We will spray them down to remove mold, mildew, and moss growth, but the soft wash chemical can leave a film on windows. You are responsible for the final cleaning of the windows. We work with several window cleaning businesses we can recommend.