Paver Cleaning and Sealing Blog

Paver Sealer in Florida and Why it Turns White

Paver Sealer in Florida

In all the markets/cities/states that we clean and seal pavers in, Florida by far takes the cake when it comes to bad seal jobs that we come across. At least 50% of our business in Florida is removing failed paver sealers and re-doing the job correctly.

The homeowner of this paver driveway in Port St Lucie, FL didn’t even know his pavers had green color in them. The sealer had delaminated from the paver surface which casted a white haze over all the pavers. We steam stripped the sealer, re-sanded the joints and then sealed with our paver sealer and the end results couldn’t be better.

There are typically 2 reasons why sealer jobs go bad, and it can take anywhere from 1 day to several years before you can tell its bad.

Bad Paver Sealer in Florida

Probably the number one cause of failed paver sealer jobs in Florida is poor sealer selection. As you know, Florida has a high humidity level and also a high water table level. This means there is constantly moisture on the surface and moisture trying to escape from the ground. Most of the sealers used in Florida are solvent based sealers which are designed to keep water and moisture out. The problem is, they also keep water and moisture trapped in the paver. This moisture and water will begin deteriorating the bond that the sealer has with the paver and when this happens your sealer turns a white color.

Notice how the sealer has turned white. This is because this sealer has detached from the paver and there is water trapped between the sealer and paver. Once this happens, the sealer pretty much needs to be stripped.

Our paver sealer at Perfect Paver Co is specially designed to work with the environment to allow the natural flow of moisture in and out of pavers. We are able to achieve this by using H2O (water) in place of the solvent based ingredients in our sealers. As the sealer cures, the water evaporates from our sealer leaving microscopic channels that allow moisture to flow in and out.

The term ‘sealing pavers’ is often compared to sealing a deck or sealing a basement where the goal is to keep water out. When it comes to pavers, thats not the goal. Pavers should be sealed regularly to prevent the surface of the paver from deteriorating from traffic, UV rays and rain. Exposure to these three events cause the finer materials in the surface of your paver to wear away leaving only the larger aggregates. The finer materials at the top of the paver is where all the color of your paver is held because  the larger aggregate won’t absorb the color.

This picture does a great job of showing this wear. The pavers on the left have been sealed and the pavers on the right have not. Notice how the pavers on the right have started to loose the finer aggregate exposing the larger, colorless aggregate in the surface of the paver.

There are many other benefits of sealing pavers, but those benefits vary depending on the type of sealer being used.

Bad Paver Sealer Application

The second most common cause for failed paver sealer is due to improper application. Unlike any of the other markets/cities/states we provide paver cleaning and paver sealing in, Florida has more unexperienced companies offering paver sealing services than any of the others combined. In Florida, sealing pavers is one of the few trades or services a company can provide without needing a contractor license. So naturally, this industry attracts unskilled and unexperienced startups due to the ease of getting started (Getting a contractor license in the State of Florida can be very difficult).

Most bad paver sealer jobs start with poor surface preparation. Due to the porosity of concrete pavers, dirt and grime can become lodged deep in the pores of the paver. If this dirt is not removed prior to sealing, it will prevent the sealer from fully adhering to the paver. We use steam and hot water to throughly clean pavers. Most other companies simply use small cold water pressure washers.

Our steam cleaning process in action. Most of the cleaning is contained inside the dome of our steam cleaning machine. This machine is powered by equipment mounted inside of our truck.

Need your pavers sealed in Florida?

If your pavers are in need of cleaning and sealing, please consider the Perfect Paver Co. Our crews are highly specialized in sealing pavers; that’s all we do every day.

Please request an estimate by completing the contact form on our website here.

PGA Village Island Club HOA Pool Deck Paver Sealing Port St Lucie, FL

The Perfect Paver Co of Palm Beach was hired by the PGA Village HOA to steam clean, re-sand and seal the HOA pool deck pavers around the PGA Village Island Club Clubhouse Pool in Port St Lucie, FL. These pavers had not been professionally cleaned or sealed in a very long time, possibly ever.

Here are a couple before pictures:

And here are some after pictures:

The PGA Village HOA decided to hire The Perfect Paver Co for this project due to us coming highly recommended from their primary contractor for the community John Jacobs Construction. We have completed several other project with John Jacobs Construction and they know our reliability, quality of materials, advanced steam cleaning equipment and highly skilled English speaking and friendly staff is unlike other paver sealing contractors that they have worked with in the past.

If your community paver pool deck, paver walkways, paver driveways, paver patios, hotel paver pool deck, paver parking lot or any other paver area on your commercial or residential property is in need of repair, maintenance, cleaning and/or sealing please contact The Perfect Paver Co of Palm Beach. We offer our commercial paver sealing service in Florida, including Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Key West, Fort Meyers, Tampa, Naples, Sarasota, Jacksonville and everywhere in between throughout the state of Florida.

For more information or pricing, please contact Mark Rhodus, owner, at mark@perfectpaverco.com or call (561) 614-1277.

Before + After: Paver driveway repair in New Albany, Ohio

Paver Driveway Makeover in New Albany Country Club

This paver driveway repair couldn’t have turned out better. Due to years of neglect, lack of sand in the paver joints and improper installation of the edge restraint, this paver driveway has spread apart causing it to look unsightly and tainting the curb appeal of this beautiful home in the New Albany Country Club. So, this client in New Albany contacted The Perfect Paver Co to repair the paver driveway, replace the plastic edge restraint that had been failing, re-install new sand in to the paver joints and seal the pavers with a joint hardening sealer that will aid in minimizing sand loss and weed growth. This client couldn’t be happier. See how great this project turned out below.

BEFORE

AFTER

Here are some more before pictures:

And then here are some more Afters:

This paver driveway now looks like an almost new one.

One of the great things about working with The Perfect Paver Co on your paver project is our depth of paver knowledge. Almost all of our technicians were paver installers on high end residential and large scale commercial projects for our sister company Two Brothers Brick Paving prior to working for us on your project.

If you’re interested in an estimate for paver driveway repair in Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati or Southeast Florida, please contact us today by completing the contact form here.

Does paver sealing prevent weeds, moss, and algae?

Does paver sealing prevent weeds, moss, and algae?  That is a great question!  We would like to be clear about our services and ensure you that we wish to provide you with the best information possible regarding your pavers.

The sealant includes a polymer additive that soaks into the sand between the pavers turning the sand hard; similar to a mortar.  This creates an environment that makes it extremely difficult for weeds to germinate and grow.

Our goal is to minimally prevent 90% of future weed growth.  However, there can always be certain circumstances that can alter the efficiency of the sealed pavers.  There are also a few things that can be done after your pavers are sealed to allow for maximum weed and vegetation prevention in the future.  We feel that it is important for you to understand that our process and service is not a remedy for poorly installed pavers (uneven, sunk, misaligned, etc.).

The number one reason weeds, moss, and algae grow between the pavers is due to inadequate or faulty paver drainage mechanisms and/or little to no sun exposure.  The inadequate drainage can be caused by low or sunken areas, pavers that were improperly sloped during installation, patios that have stone walls around the perimeter (preventing water from draining appropriately), or even mounded landscape beds that also prevent effective water drainage.

When pavers are not draining properly, these areas remain damp (especially in shaded areas).  Airborne organic materials begin to stick to the damp surfaces including pavers and sand joints.  Over time, this promotes the growth of moss and algae.  Airborne seeds from weeds and grass also begin to adhere to the damp areas.  The airborne organic materials and seeds, within these damp areas, create the perfect conditions for germination.  The roots then begin to grow in the shallow layer of organic material.  We would be happy to address any drainage issues prior to sealing your pavers.  The best fix for damp pavers is proper drainage.

How can I minimize the risk of future weeds, moss, and algae growth within my paver joints?  Utilizing the following steps, you can have long term success with your sealed pavers.

• Keep the pavers clean of debris and airborne materials.  Use a leaf blower to clean off the pavers each time the lawn is mowed.  This is an easy yet crucial step to paver cleanliness.

• Every couple of weeks, thoroughly rinse the pavers using a garden hose and nozzle on the fan setting.  Chase the dirt and debris off the pavers into the lawn or landscaped beds.  This is very important to do after a heavy rain as well.  We do not recommend utilizing a pressure washer as it can damage the sand joints.

• If the pavers are poorly drained, damp, shaded or prone to weeds, moss, and algae growth, we recommend treating the pavers every couple of weeks with a diluted outdoor bleach solution (we recommend Clorox Outdoor Bleach which can be found at your local hardware stores).  Once you see weeds, moss or algae beginning to germinate, it is also a good idea to treat the area immediately.  The solution is 1 part bleach to 3 parts water.  Mix the solution in a pump style sprayer.  It is a good idea to spray down surrounding plants/grass with water prior to spraying the pavers with the solution.  This will make it more difficult for them to absorb any of the solution should it be airborne.  Spray the pavers with the bleach solution and let is sit on the pavers/sand joints for 15-30 minutes.  If new growth is visible, use a bristled brush to agitate the solution into the growth.  Once the 15-30 minutes has passed, use your garden hose to rinse the solution off the pavers.  Use plenty of water as it will dilute the bleach further eliminating the risk of harm to surrounding plants and grass.

We appreciate your business, and as always, we look forward to serving you in the future.  Utilizing the above steps will increase the effectiveness of your sealed pavers and ensure long term success.  We are more than willing to assist with these precautionary steps; please contact us for more information.

Paver Steps and Walkway Repair in Blacklick, Ohio

This client in Blacklick contacted us originally to help them repair their 15+ year old paver patio, walkway and paver steps at the entrance to their home. Failing pavers steps that were built around the same time the home was built is a very common repair that we’re called out on. The reason is caused during construction of the home. When the builder excavates for the basement, he digs wider allowing plenty of room for the basement wall builder to work. When the basement walls are finished, the builder then pushes loose dirt into this large void. Over the next 5-7 years, this backfill material will settle. So, if steps were built over top of this settling area in the first 5 years, chances are they’ll settle.
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Bad Paver Sealer Jobs

We are contacted weekly by homeowners who have decided to hire an unexperienced company to seal their pavers. Sealing pavers is a lot more finicky than sealing a deck or sealing concrete. There are some things that can go wrong, as you’ll see in the pictures below.
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Why you shouldn’t pressure wash concrete pavers

Patio and driveway pavers get dirty over time and grow black mold, moss and weeds. Most paver owners think to hire a pressure washing company to clean them or run out to the local hardware store and rent a pressure washer and try to pressure wash the pavers themselves. Pressure washing concrete pavers, especially newer ones, can easily damage the surface finish and we strongly suggest not pressure washing unless you are highly experienced and have the right equipment to pressure wash pavers.
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Brick Paver Walkway Cleaning and Sealing in Oakwood Ohio

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Should I seal my pavers?

There are many benefits to sealing pavers, but it’s not absolutely necessary. It really depends on your expectations of pavers and how long you would like them to look great. Pavers that aren’t sealed will be more likely to grow weeds in the joints, they will fade and loose their color from wear and UV breakdown, and because most newer paver sealers include an additive that will harden the joint sand it is less likely that you will have settling or shifting caused by joint sand loss.
All that being said, yes you should seal your pavers. Most paver manufactures will tell you that it’s not required to seal your pavers, however, it is highly suggested.

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Paver Sealing vs Polymeric Sand

Typically, a customer comes to us requesting to either have their pavers sealed or stabilized with polymeric sand. Rarely does the client know both options exist. So, I wanted to put this informational article to share what the differences are and which is the best for your situation.
A joint stabilizing sealer is a liquid product that penetrates into the surface of the concrete paver as well as the sand in the joint giving the paver protection from stains and an enhanced look as well as hardening the sand in the joint. The joint stabilizing sealers come in a natural or matt sheen, enhanced or semi-gloss sheen and a high gloss sheen.
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