I'm no expert on the subject but have seen my nephew who has a deck finishing business do it. It certainly looks nice and like a deck finish basically repels the water, it beads. Whether it's over hyped I have no idea, a lot of things are. It also seals in the sand so it doesn't end up all over the place after a hard rain. How long it lasts I have no idea. I know the product he uses is solvent based, nasty stuff to work with and you don't want it in your pool, but as usually is the case outdoors the solvent based lasts longer, could be wrong though the way some water based products have progressed.

I bought polymeric sand at my local garden center. They are also a Techo-Bloc dealer, so it makes sense that they'd sell stuff like the sand. I'm sure you can find a garden center like that in your area. It comes in a large bag (I think mine was 50lbs) and spreads on like regular sand, but then you hose it down and the water activates the binders, turning it almost like cement. But as "neilaz" pointed out, since you already have sand down, you might be better off with the stabilizer. Not sure if garden centers carry that or not.

First, be aware that not all natural stone countertops need sealing. This is only for stones that need sealing. If your stone does not need sealing, do NOT seal! Sealing stones that do not need it can cause problems later with haze, streaking, ghost etching, etc. If applied inappropriately, the sealer will have to be manually removed to return the stone to it's original look. Stones with an absorption rate From our own StoneGirl (Jun 4, 2009) Whatever sealer you use, read and follow the instructions carefully and be sure to buff off all excess sealer. For maximum effectiveness, each application of sealer needs to fully cure before the next application - normally about 24 hours. Here is a how-to for sealing: You will need the following: Home improvement strength alcohol Lint-free rags or unprinted paper towels (the "Rags in a Box" disposable paper rags found at home improvement stores are really great for this) Paint pad (those hard, fluffy coated pads they use to apply paint) Sealer What to do: Clean your counter tops by wiping them down to remove any food residue. Wipe the counters with a rag soaked in alcohol. (Be sure to follow the safety instructions on the container) Once the counters are clean and dry, apply the sealer with the paint pad. You can pour a little puddle and spread it with the paint pad. Work in smaller, manageable areas. Leave the sealer for the recommended time and buff off the residue with the lint-free rags. Be sure to TOTALLY remove all excess sealer or you might end up with streakiness and smudginess. Change rags often to prevent smearing excess sealer. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until all your surfaces are sealed. Leave sealer to cure for 24 hours and test for water absorption. Drip water on the stone to see if the stone still darkens. If it does, another application of sealer is in order. Repeat the entire procedure until water beads up and no longer darkens the stone. Do not think that more is better. Work with smaller quantities of sealer and properly clean up after each application. Your results will be better than trying a single, heavy handed application. For daily cleaning, just use a couple microfiber towels (one dry and one slightly damp) Clean counters with the damp one - you could add some soap to it if you wished - and buff dry with the dry rag. No fuss, and pretty easy

The sealant makes the color of the pavers more dramatic. However it wears off and you have to keep recoating every year or so. I would not seal them, let it be natural.