“If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently.”
Proper cleaning and maintenance are important for keeping the integrity and beauty of your paver hardscape installation. Pavers are built and installed to last, but depending on the environment they are installed in, you could run into some issues a few years down the road. That is why Florida Pavers & Pergolas recommends seasonal maintenance to keep your stone or clay pavers looking as good as possible. Today, we are going to be discussing general paver maintenance, proper paver cleaning methods, and how and when to protect your pavers.
General Paver Maintenance
General paver maintenance is just as important as your car’s general maintenance. Instead of oil changes and tire rotations, think weed and pest prevention. Weeds can germinate and grow in between the cracks or joints of your pavers, just like ant mounds can seemingly appear overnight all over your hardscape. If left unattended, both weeds and ants could potentially shift your pavers overtime. To prevent this from happening, be sure to periodically apply weed and pest preventative to the joints as part of your regular paver maintenance routine.
Paver Cleaning Methods
Clean pavers are happy pavers. The use of cleaning solutions on your pavers can have mixed effects on the finish/color of your pavers. That is why it is important to test a small amount of cleaner on a single paver before cleaning your entire paved area, to ensure that you are getting your desired result.
Always follow the listed instructions that are on the packaging/bottle of your cleaning solution of choice. Make sure to always rinse the solution off completely after you are finished applying that said solution. If you’re using a pressure washer, be very cautious not to destroy the integrity of the paver joints.
If a gas leak or oil spill occurs on your pavers, do not scrub up the mess with a towel or shammy. To ensure minimal staining to the exterior of your pavers, act quickly with a granular oil absorbent. Spills should always be soaked up, not scrubbed.
Paver Protection
The sealing of pavers is a common practice all across the nation. Typically, it is utilized more in northern states compared to southern states, due to the harsher weather conditions during the winter. However, it is still important to seal your pavers even if you live in a southern state like Florida. Southern states still get severe weather systems, like hurricanes and tornadoes, that have the potential to dish out some serious damage to the integrity of your pavers.
Florida Pavers & Pergolas uses water-based sealers that penetrate the pavers better than solvent-based sealers and can be applied as soon as the pavers are dry. A general rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t apply sealers to your pavers more than once every three years.
Florida Pavers & Pergolas services the following areas: Orange County, Seminole County, Lake County, Osceola County, Volusia County, and Broward County. Our team commonly operates in Metro West, Doctor Phillips, Windermere, Kissimmee, Winter Garden, Gotha, Oviedo, Oakland, Apopka, College Park, Winter Park, Sorrento, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Lake Mary, Heathrow, & Sanford.