IN THE EYES OF HURRICANES
Sealer-Stabilizer Holds Firm

by Garry Perkins

Two pounding hurricanes with 150 mile per hour wind-driven rains leveled homes, blew vehicles into trees, and boats off the water into homes in the worst hit Vero Beach area of Florida-not far from my house. (We were away during the hurricanes.)

When the first hurricane (Frances) began pounding Vero Beach, many paving contractors worried about joint sand washouts and related damages. Over 30 hours later, 4 times the normal hurricane duration, the storm had wreaked billions of dollars in damage. Wind gusts over 120 miles per hour had hammered the area with 12-plus inches of rain.

Through all this, the pavers at my Vero Beach house, sealed with joint sand stabilizer and sealer just 4 days earlier, held firmly in place. Surfside Pavers of Vero Beach did the paver installation. Killian Diversified Services then applied Surebond Joint Stabilizing Sealer over the entire installation.

Only three weeks later Hurricane Jean struck Vero Beach, but with wind gusts up to 150 miles per hour and even more driving rain-the pavement remained perfectly secure, solid and protected against corrosion from salt spray. Not only did the sidewalks, stairs and patio hold firm after 2 severe hurricanes, but even the steep pitched 30' triple-wide paver driveway stayed firm and perfectly bonded and sealed.

While your paver installations may not face a hurricane, they are exposed to wind and rains that take their toll over time. A good stabilizer sealer will increase paver interlock and hold them firmly in place. In addition, you will also enrich paver colors, prevent weathering from normal acid rain or salt corrosion. The sealed sand also shuts out weed growth and ants. Many of these same qualities also apply well to retaining walls keeping them clean, bright and protected from corrosion.

Garry R. Perkins, President and owner of Surebond, Inc., has been manufacturing sealer-stabilizers as well as Paver Bond adhesives for over 25 years. As an engineer and inventor, his life's work has been in advanced technology developing hundreds of unique problem-solving products and patents. For more information on Surebond products visit www.surebond.com.

published in HardScape Magazine.