Concrete Paver Sealing
Why do concrete pavers require sealing?
#1 Most Important Reason to Seal your concrete pavers
To prevent Face-Mix Erosion.
Color Fading
Your concrete pavers take a beating. UV sun exposure, Rain, Foot & Vehicular Traffic are all slowly wearing away the top of your pavers. Brand new pavers should be sealed 60 to 90 days after they are fully installed.
Joint Sand Stabilization
Installation of the proper joint sand does make a difference. Coarse angular silica sand is pre-washed of all nutrients. Meticulously installed joint sand helps to reduce weed growth and ant mines.
Explore the galleries below to see concrete pavers I’ve professionally cleaned and sealed, organized by color to help you find one that closely matches your own. Which transformation is your favorite?
Brown Concrete Pavers
Red Concrete Pavers
Gray Concrete Pavers
Yellow Concrete Pavers
Tan (Blended) Concrete Pavers
Tan (Red/Yellow/Orange) Concrete Pavers – My Favorite
Artic Glacier (Gray/Dark Gray/White Blend)
Common Stains:
Concrete pavers are constantly exposed to contaminants that can permanently affect their appearance if left unprotected. Some of the most common stains and discoloration include:
- Tire Marks from everyday vehicle traffic
- Rust stains caused by metal patio furniture, fertilizers, battery acid, and well water irrigation
- Grease and oil spills from grills and outdoor cooking
- Tannin stains from mulch, leaves, and landscaping
- Organic growth such as mold, mildew, algae, and moss
One of the biggest advantages of sealing concrete pavers is how much easier future maintenance becomes. A quality paver sealer creates a protective barrier that helps prevent contaminants from penetrating deep into the surface. As a result, routine cleaning is significantly easier, and many stains can be removed before they become permanent. Cleaning freshly sealed pavers is simply not comparable to trying to remove the same stains from unsealed, porous pavers.
Maintaining your pavers after we leave
Your pavers will look better and lasts longer with proper care and maintenance. Here is what you need to know.
1. Do not pressure wash your sealed pavers for at least 2 years.
Prematurely using high pressure to clean your pavers can compromise the sealer finish and break loose stabilized sand allowing weeds to come bac
2. Leaf Blower
After performing lawn maintenance simply blow off any dirt, dust, leaves, and grass clippings. You will not believe how much EASIER this task will be!
3. Low-Pressure Rinse
Any spilled food, squashed insects or frogs in-between your paver joints should be cleaned up right away. When these unfortunate conditions arise simply rinse them off with your garden hose. We recommend starting out with a “fan” or “shower” spray pattern, and avoid using higher pressure “jet” patterns as this may loosen the joint sand between your pavers. Decaying debris left to accumulate will create an environment for organic (mold) growth.
4. Mold, Mildew, Algae
Sealed pavers provide great protection against mold, mildew, and algae penetrating the face of your pavers. However, our climate generates excessive organic growth. Conditions where you have poor water drainage (Ponding), or frequent dirt and mulch wash out from planter beds will get dirtier at an accelerated rate. The simplest and most effective way to remove organic growth is to treat it with bleach. Mix 1 part bleach to 2 parts water and apply using a spray bottle. Make sure to wear proper P.P.E when spraying cleaners. Allow this solution to sit on the surface for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse off thoroughly with low pressure water from your garden hose. NEVER USE MURIATIC or SULFURIC ACID as this could damage the sealer and surface. Multiple applications of your bleach solution may be required. DO NOT pressure wash your pavers for at least two years after being sealed.
5. Weed Growth
Typically, our clients experience a 90% to 95% reduction in weed growth on properly draining paver hardscapes with properly installed concrete paver edge restraints . Everyone’s situation is different. Driving automobile tires over the edge of the paver driveway will eventually crack or break the concrete thrust blocks that keeps your pavers tight. Therefore, broken concrete edge restraints will allow your pavers to spread apart and allowing organic debris to fill those small cracks that were once filled with stabilized sand. Weed growth is beyond our control if your pavers are spreading apart. If you live in Florida Prostrate Sandmat can still grow in-between stabilized sand joints. If prostrate Sandmat is an issue on your pavers we recommend your lawn spraying contractor address these with their pre-emergent fertilizers.
6. Sand Wash Out
Our paver sealer stabilizes the joint sand, however, some sand wash-out can occur if your paver concrete edge restraints are broken. If your edge restrains are broken it is easily identified by your pavers spreading apart. Stabilized sand will usually stick to one side of the paver as they spread leaving an open void for weeds to grow. Downspouts that discharge onto your pavers is another area for common sand washout, or if you have a section of roof that really should have a gutter splash guard installed that allows rain water to pound your pavers are also areas where your joint sand could start to wash out over time.