Mother Nature can be cruel. If you have chosen Belgard for your hardscape projects, you’ve already taken measures to increase resistance against weathering and corrosion. Still, seasonal hardscape maintenance is encouraged to preserve the beauty and integrity of your installation. Here are a few Spring paver care tips.
General maintenance
- Clean your pavers each Spring with a coarse-bristle “stable” broom and a routine maintenance paver cleaner to keep them looking like new.
- Some weeds, if left unaddressed, can shift pavers apart over time. Be sure to periodically apply a granular weed preventative between joints as a part of your paver maintenance routine.
- Be careful when cleaning your Belgard pavers with power washers as they can remove the paver finish and expose the aggregate on the paver’s surface.
Cleaning
- Before applying any paver cleaning solution to your hardscape, test a small inconspicuous area first to be sure you get the desired results.
- Be sure to read and follow the directions printed on container labels for cleaning solution use, application, precautions and first aid. Always rinse the solution off thoroughly after use.
- For tough stains, use a specialized cleaner to treat the specific stain. Techniseal offers specialty cleaners for organic stains (moss, mildew, dead leaves, blood, wine); greasy stains (motor oil, barbecue, oily foods); rust (caused by steel, rusty objects or fertilizer); and paint, tar or rubber (including gum). Each of these products are specifically formulated to clean pavers and masonry and should not affect the color or tone of your hardscapes. However, it is always a good idea to test a small area area first.
Protecting
- The joints between paving stones are the most vulnerable areas of any installation. Keep these joints topped off with jointing sand to prevent the sand-bedding layer below from deteriorating, causing the pavers to shift.
- Every three years, apply a sealer to keep your pavers looking their best. Depending upon your preference, sealer options can offer a natural matte finish, a color-boosted matte finish, a clear semi-gloss look, or a wet-look gloss finish. Sealers should not be applied more than once in three years. Too many applications will create a film on the surface which may discolor in sunlight. You can easily test whether your pavers are ready to resealed by dripping some water on your pavers. If the water initially beads, your pavers are still protected. If the water immediately soaks in, it’s probably time.
- For older pavers that have suffered from weathering and neglect, bring back the original shade of pavers or give them new color with NuLook Tinted Sealant, which is a semi-transparent semi-gloss sealer designed to rejuvenate faded pavers. NuLook comes in four different shades to bring new life to pavers or create interesting designs. Watch the amazing transformation in the video below.
Tags
10 comments
MY PAVERS ARE MADE UP OF DIFFERENT SHAPES, SIZES AND SHADES. WILL THIS NULOK MATERIAL MAKE THEM A UNIFORM COLOR AND REMOVE THE SHADE VARIATION THEY ORIGINALLY HAD
Thank you for your inquiry. I have forwarded your question to the manufacturer of the NuLOOK product and will reply with their response.
Techniseal’s NuLook Protector is more a “semi-transparent tint” and not an opaque color. If the pavers are of different shades the NuLook will follow the same pattern.
The tinting is designed to let the respective shading still come through. This is not a paint. Try out with some samples that we can get you.
I like the idea of this product. It definitely brings out the best of your paving and improves its look. Still, I’d suggest regular pressure cleaning once a year depending on the climate of your region. More rain means more moisture and before you know it, the pavement is already dark green again.
Excellent tips and it seems that I have found this article at the right time of year as my paving is due much needed maintenance.
It was helpful when you explained that paver patios should be sealed at least every three years to keep them in the best possible shape. My husband and I want to find a contractor to install a rectangular patio in our backyard, hopefully within the next couple of weeks. Since we’ve never had a paver patio before, the maintenance tips you shared here will be especially helpful!
Sealant is definitely important, so be sure to discuss that with your contractor upfront. To find a Belgard Authorized Contractor in your area, visit http://www.belgard.com/locator.
My Belgard pavers have been seen with the Natural look sealant.
I understand that this sealant will help in maintaining the look of the pavers and prevent or delay staining from organic matters. My question is this: would you use any of the cleaning agents mentioned if a sealant has already been applied. Or would the cleaning agent, such as the one used to remove organic stain damage the sealant already in place.
Thanks for your question, Lisa
There may be cases when you have to use a specific cleaners on top of your sealed pavers. Yes, some of our cleaners have the ability to strip/harm your present sealant on the pavers.
My advice is to contact us at 1-800-465-7325 whenever a stain becomes present so we can walk you through on how to properly clean it.