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Waterloo Chronicle | Thursday, Ay by Jane Pinzhoffer Nate McCann started Clean & Seal Solu- tions right after graduating high school in June 2020. The original plan was to have a pressure washing business, but a family friend suggested he get into concrete seal- ing. “I didn’t know what concrete sealing was three years ago, but there's a big niche mar- ket,’ says Nate. Clean & Seal Solutions uses acrylic seal- ers to form a coating on concrete and paving stones. These porous materials allow water to soak in over time, especially with the freeze- thaw cycles of Canadian winters, causing deterioration, loss of colour, cracking, and pitting. Sealing prevents that and comes in different finishes with a gloss look or matte option, so you're getting both the visual ap- peal and the protection. “Some people ask if sealing concrete will make it slippery,’ says Nate. “We offer a silica sand mixed in with : fecting the appearance.” There's also a natural § finish penetrating sealant that doesn't leave a 3 coating but still fills the pores and prevents g water from soaking in. “Sealer application is a two-part process, it’s all about the prep before the sealer goes down. Surfaces are thoroughly pressure washed, then allowed to dry,” says Nate. “Cleaning usually takes place in the morn- ing, before returning in the evening when it's cool enough to put the sealer down. The sealer can't be applied in direct sunlight, or it will set too fast and create bubbles. An av- erage driveway can be sealed in less than an hour. Pool areas take longer as the edges have to be hand-painted to avoid overspray in the water” The sealants require the temperature to remain above 10 degrees, so jobs usually begin around May 10th. Rain isn’t an issue as long as the surface is dry during application. ‘The Stratford native has expanded his busi- ness to Kitchener-Waterloo this spring, with hopes to work his way towards the GTA cor- ridor. Clean & Seal Solutions currently fo- cuses on residential properties but plans to move into commercial jobs as well. “We're equipped to deal with large jobs beyond 10,000 square feet. The equipment is top-tier industrial-grade,’ says Nate. “I worked by myself for the last two years, = anandseal.ca b fers initially doing the Stratford area, but word- of-mouth would take me as far as Waterloo,” says Nate. “This year I've invested in two transit vans each with a mounted system. It’s quite a larger set-up than what I’ve used in the past, and I'll have two new employees for the spring. I have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. It's very rewarding to build the busi- ness up each year and see it grow,’ says Nate. “It’s a privilege to work on these beautiful properties and very satisfying to come in and clean, beautify, and protect their driveways and patios” LUTIONS mt i CLEAN & SEAL SOLUTIONS Clean & Seal Solutions info@cleanandseal.ca (226) 921-6091 www.cleanandseal.ca