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The natural longevity and colourfastness of Riviera Freedom clay pavers is supplemented by the unique surface enhancement, Paveshield, which acts to resist stains, graffiti and pollution grime.
The buildup of dirt and grime and the staining caused by everyday living can leave an outdoor area looking sad and neglected. A lot of deterioration can occur from:
- accidental spills from cooking and entertaining
- stains from garden materials like leaves, dirt and tan bark
- muddy footprints
- oil and grease spots from the BBQ or car
- crayon, pen and paint marks from little kids and big kids
- and the gradual build-up of dirt and grime.
Typical outdoor surfaces such as concrete and pavers are by nature porous and susceptible to staining as they are able to absorb moisture. Complicated stain removal techniques are often required to remove engrained stains and a “weathered” colour change often develops as dirt and grime are gradually absorbed. After market sealers are available to improve the stain resistance of these surfaces, but often it is only after the stains appear that a sealer is thought of and they can break down over time.
Fortunately, Riviera Freedom pavers are treated on the upper side with Paveshield, which allows less cleaning and more living. Paveshield is a revolutionary surface enhancement treatment that resists sunlight, fading, stains, grease and food and also inhibits the growth of mould and mildew.
What is Paveshield?
Paveshield is a glaze-like surface coating that has a specially designed matt finish to protect the paver from permanent staining. The glaze-like finish of Paveshield is impervious, which prevents stains from penetrating into the paver. Common household stains can be cleaned easily off the surface of a Riviera Freedom paver.
How is Paveshield Applied?
Paveshield is mechanically and chemically bonded to the upper side of Riviera Freedom pavers during firing as part of the manufacturing process. This means there is no need for any onsite applications, such as lengthy sealing procedures or chemical treatment.
How long will Paveshield last?
Paveshield prevents common stains even if they have been left for up to a week on the pavers, and the protection of Paveshield will last for many years in residential use. In fact, pavers treated with Paveshield should have protection that will last as long as the paver.
How is Paveshield Maintained?
Most accidental stains like oils, fats or other serious spills are easiest to clean if they are cleaned up promptly. Typically stains can be removed with hot water and soap, but common household cleaners may be required for more concentrated or stubborn stains. The pavers may be hosed or sponged at any time to remove dust and the build-up of dirt, but the odd sweep and fall of rain will generally do the work for you.
Like with all paving products, harsh cleaning methods, such as using highly alkaline or solvent-based cleaners. may affect the pavers appearance and wear characteristics.
How was the stain resistance tested?
Riviera Freedom Pavers were subjected to a range of common household stains by our Technical staff. All the stains tested were removed with common household cleaners.
- Just hot water and soap easily removed red wine, soy sauce, malt vinegar, beetroot, ink, sesame oil, tannin (the staining caused by leaf matter), clay, cement and tyre marks.
- Even more stubborn stains like permanent marker, engine oil, spray paint, acrylic paint and shoe polish could be removed with hot water, soap and a bit of elbow grease.
- For an even faster clean, shoe polish was removed with methylated spirits, permanent marker by acetone (nail polish remover) and engine oil by white spirits.
It is on these tests that the stain resistance of the Riviera Freedom pavers is based. Riviera Freedom pavers are easy to clean and maintain, due to their ability to resist common stains. There may be some stubborn or neglected stains that still affect the pavers, due to the extremes that outdoor surfaces are subjected to. Indeed, no paver can be guaranteed to be 100% stain free for life, but Riviera Freedom Pavers will provide a very high level of stain resistance to ensure that the longer you own them, the more you’ll appreciate them.
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The below photos were taken during cleaning tests conducted on the Riviera Freedom pavers. The ‘before’ shots show stains that had been left on the pavers for over a week. The ‘after’ shots were taken after cleaning. The only cleaning implements used during the tests are shown in the picture opposite. | |
