Prep work IS necessary for Sealing Brick Pavers

Brick Paver Sealing

I am amazed by the number of potential brick paver sealing clients who do not think it is necessary to prepare their paver patio, walkway, driveway, etc.. for sealing.  Preparation of the paving stone surface & paver joints is a must for the proper performance and appearance of paver sealant.

Each week I do a brick paver sealing estimate where the homeowner just wants me to apply the proper paver sealant to their brick pavers.  Most times the paving stones exhibit dirt, moss, mold, and stains that need to be addressed. More so, the paver joints need to be filled with paver joint sand and have dirt,moss, weeds, and grass removed prior to sealing their paver patio or walk.  Paver Driveways are a given for extensive prep work to allow for sealing.

The average cost of sealing brick paver patios in Ann Arbor & Saline is @ $1.00/ sq.ft plus the cost of prep work. Price breaks usually start after 1000 sq.ft and for driveways.  The cost of prep work depends on the severity of the condition of the paving stones & paver joints. Just for an easy example, a  400-450 sq.ft ground level paver patio with a couple of steps into doorwall, may cost $650-750 for general power washing, sanding of paver joints, and sealed with an approved brick paver sealant.  Severe paving stone & paver joint cleaning may increase this price range.  Brick paver repair to sunken or settled areas are also an extra cost.  Most of our brick paver patio restorations this year are running in the $600-900 range when you factor in touch-up repairs.

The only exception for applying a brick paver sealant without performing some extensive prep work would be when a paver patio, walkway, driveway, or etc.. was installed about 3 months earlier and the above mentioned foreign substances are not present.  Paver joints may still need some touch ups. Remember that most brick paver manufacturers recommend waiting 60-90 days after installation to allow any efflorescence to exit the paving stones.

The paver manufacturers have a few steps & cleaners of prepping for sealing that is not always necessary, but the minimum amount of prep work is a general power washing of the paving stones & paver joints.  If weeds, grass, mold, & moss are present, a more aggressive power washing will be necessary. After the brick pavers & paver joints dry, an approved paver joint sand needs to be swept in all joints.  Polymeric sand is NOT necessary to use if sealing your brick pavers and actually is discouraged from doing by polymeric sand manufacturers.

After the paver joint sand is carefully swept in all joints, touched up with a wisk broom in tight areas, and blown off the top of the paving stones with a leaf blower, the brick paver sealant can be applied.  An earlier post I had on brick paver sealing methods explains the pros & cons of different methods. 

To insure great performance & appearance from sealing pavers, the prep work must be done to make sure the paving stones & paver joint's appearance is enhanced by the sealant.  Sealing brick pavers is not cheap, and some prep work is necessary to make sure you get the results you are looking to get from your interlocking pavers.

Paver Patio Repair, Cleaning, and Sealing

We completed a paver patio repair, cleaning, and sealing this week.  This customer has kept up with yearly paver joint sand sweeping but a few minor paver repairs where needed.  The paver joints did exhibit moss, weeds, and grass growth which became unattractive and evasive. 

This brick paver patio had never been sealed and the customer wanted to improve the appearance of the paving stones while slowing down the weathering of the paver surface.  After 5 years being installed by a brick paver contractor, this paver patio was in need of some tender loving care.

We first performed the brick paver repair, then spent a 2 1/2 hours powerwashing out the old paver joint sand, moss, weeds, and grass growth. We also powerwashed the paving stone surfaces to remove mold, dirt, and other patio stains.

We returned a few hours later when the paving stones & paver joints were dry so we could sweep in new paver joint sand.  After joint sand sweeping, we blew off the excess joint sand with a leaf blower, and lightly misted down with water to help clean the paving stones of excess sand on the surface.

The next day was sunny and dry and we returned in the late afternoon to seal the paver patio. We needed to touch up some excessive sand spots on the paver patio with a wisk broom and leaf blower again. We made sure everything was dry especially the paver joints before sealing the pavers. We used an approved brick paver sealant known as "Super Diamond Clear" by Ever Clear.  We sprayed on a generous coat of paver sealer and instructed the customer to stay off for 24 hours. 

Brick Paver Sealing : Spraying vs. Rolling

I am often asked what is the best method for applying brick paver sealant. The two methods that are most common for sealing brick pavers is "pump" spraying or rolling on with a foam roller. I have brick paver contractors that swear by both methods, but from my 25 year experience I prefer the "pump" spraying method.



Starting first with the Rolling method of applying brick paver sealant, I find that my time in applying the paver sealant is less. The special foam slitted roller spreads the sealer pretty evenly and efficiently. The rolling method of applying paver sealant will stretch the sealer so you will not have very much waste. The biggest setback that I experience when rolling on brick paver sealant is that the roller will sometimes roll the joint sand over the top of the brick pavers, especially if the joints are wide. Also, I am not satisfied with the amount of sealer that pours into the sand joints. Even though the paver sealant companies push their special rollers, I have yet to find one that satisfies me.


The Spraying method is my preferred method of applying brick paver sealer. When applying sealer for paver patios, walkways, and driveways, this method will apply sealer very generously while allowing sealer to soak into the sand joints as well. As long as you apply the paver sealer on a windless day, the coverage can be generous and effortless. You will use up more sealer with this brick paver applying method. The biggest headache for us brick paver contractors is that there are no real good brick paver sealer sprayers. Even the high dollar commercial sprayers require so much cleaning & maintenance to perform properly, most of us contractors have resolved to the cheap and disposable "pump" garden sprayers. After each brick paver sealing job, I just throw them away. The thermoplastics in the paver sealer harden up & eat up the rubber seals on the sprayers and make them unusable unless you thoroughly clean them out with acetone or thinner. I usually purchase a sealer sprayer under $20 at Lowe's or Home Depot. I feel my time is worth more than the actual cost of the sprayers.

No matter what brick paver sealing method you use, make sure you seal patio stones & retaining walls on a dry sunny day. Make sure all pavers and paver joints are completely dry and it will not rain within 4 hours. To get more information and instruction about brick paver sealers and cleaners, check out Techniseal for information and source near you!