Pavers are a beautiful investment that can upgrade the aesthetics of your driveway, pool deck, or patio and can last a lifetime if maintained properly. They increase your curb appeal and the value of your property because they serve as an attractive and durable patio or driveway material choice.
But how they are maintained can make the difference between 50+ smooth years with your pavers, or a rocky road.
Before your pavers sink, raise, wiggle, or shift around, you need to focus on stabilizing them. When you skip preventative measures, it reminds you exactly why stable pavers are important.
The structural integrity is at stake, and you can either choose to save money or lose it.
Wash and Seal Pavers
Once your pavers have been installed by a professionally trained contractor, you need to make sure that an equally competent technician cleans and reseals them every 2 to 3 years.
You might not think that sealing your pavers is an essential practice, and it’s true that many homeowners go without it, but how well do they look after 10 or 20 years?
When a licensed and insured company like Premier Pro Wash & Seal service your pavers, they use a rotary surface cleaner to clean deep in the joints. This ensures that weeds, seeds, bacteria, mold, algae, and other foreign debris are completely removed.
Then, they add more silica sand in between the pavers. The extra sand helps to secure the pavers in their current position so that they cannot wobble around. It also does a decent job at reducing the amount of weeds that will try to grow between the joints.
But the sand isn’t just thrown around and filled to the top like grout. It needs to leave a 1/8th to 1/4th inch gap from the chamfer edge (the top edge of the paver).
One of the most important reasons for this space left open in the joints is water. When it rains or there is traffic on your pool deck, the water that collects will be coaxed off. Pooling water is very bad for pavers and directing water to flow off of them is crucial.
Why use silica sand instead of polymers?
Polymers are a mixture of sands that bind when mixed with water. But this sand is chemically reactive and impure, inviting organisms and undesirable effects like efflorescence.
Efflorescence is the result of natural salts coming out of minerals. These stains can ruin the look of your pavers and create unnecessary upkeep.
Silica sand, otherwise known as quartz sand, is a non-reactive and gritty material that works wonderfully in humid climates like the Tampa Bay area in Florida.
When mixed with joint stabilizing sealer, the sand hardens and secures the paver joint flawlessly!
Joint Sand Stabilization
When you stabilize the joints between your pavers, you receive a number of benefits including the reduction or elimination of:
- Algae
- Mold
- Mildew
- Weeds
- Grass
- Insect infestation
- Sand loss
- Paver movement
If you don’t stabilize the sand around your pavers, water from rain or your pool will slowly wash it away. When this happens, large gaps are left in the joints, and then even the sand under your pavers risk coming up and away. This process is known as sub-surface erosion or degradation.
The bed of sand that your pavers rest on will become uneven and as a result, the pavers will sink and/or rise, ruining your perfectly flat surface.
The only way to fix this issue is to:
- Remove all of the pavers
- Reapply more sand
- Level it out
- Reinstall the pavers
This is not only time-consuming but costly!
And it can be easily prevented with an even application of extra sand and a joint sealer that makes it concrete hard. Once your pavers have been sealed and stabilized, you can feel rest assured that they aren’t going anywhere.
To Sand or Not to Sand
Although we always recommend sanding around pavers, Premier Pro Wash & Seal offers a no-sand option for customers with unique situations. These cases may vary, but a few examples include:
- The pavers were recently installed and the sand levels are adequate.
- The customer requests that we skip the sanding step.
Premier Pro Wash & Seal Services for Stable Pavers
When we suggest that your pavers be re-sanded and stabilized, we are looking out for your best interests. Other companies might try to convince you that sanding and stabilizing joints is optional or arbitrary. But you should consider why they are trying to talk you out of it if your sand levels are low.
Only hire a company with the skill and understanding of sanding and its importance. Re-sanding and sealing the joints of your pavers takes training and experience.
Companies that lack the knowledge and expertise will consistently fail at the task. By persuading you to opt out, they get your money without offering you the value you deserve.
Here at Premier Pro Wash & Seal, we want your pavers to last as long as they can and look gorgeous year after year. We also have the education and talent to get the job done right.
Unless the customer doesn’t want their pavers sanded or their sand levels are already perfect, we will recommend sanding. If you agree to the work, we will expertly sand to stabilize your pavers so that they look their best year after year.