# Paver Sealing Dilemma



## Hoosier (Jun 12, 2018)

We have a paver patio being installed that should be done in about a week on Oct 23. I'm big on preventative maintenance, so want to seal them asap. The issue that I'm running into is that everything I've read online and in the sealer instructions recommends waiting 30-60 days after install to seal. If I do this, it puts me at the end of November/December. Here in Indiana, it's likely not going to be an option to seal them then, either due to the application temperature requirements (40-85 degrees), or snow on the ground.

So, I have 2 options, and hoping someone with some knowledge/experience with this might have a suggestion:

1) Seal them right away, assuming the weather permits. From what I've read, this may not give them the recommended time to breathe and for the joint sand to dry out, especially since daytime temps are already in the mid 50's here. I know the pavers are recently manufactured, since they had to be ordered (being able to get materials is why we're about 3 weeks behind on the project in the first place), so they haven't sat out somewhere drying for the last couple months.

2) Wait until next Spring/Summer to seal them. This may end up being 6+ months from the install date depending on how rainy/warm it is next Spring, and will be a full winter of freeze/thaw to break down the top layer of pavers. Also gives us time between install and sealing to spill stuff on them and stain them. So, in the Spring, I'll have to clean them one weekend, wait 3-4 days with no rain for them to dry out, then seal when I have time to do so, which turns an afternoon chore this fall into a 2-3 week ordeal from start to finish in the Spring.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be much appreciated!


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## 1FASTSS (Jul 11, 2018)

I would do option 2. They need the proper cure time. Introducing the sealer too soon will not let them harden all the way. Concrete needs a min of 28-days to fully cure to full strength. If you can get them installed and you have a window in a month then you should be fine to do it before snow hits them.


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## ThomasPI (May 18, 2019)

Wait it out.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Don't seal them right away. They need the proper cure time. In general I prefer using poly sand and not sealing at all but if your set on sealing them wait the recommended time. If there's a warm weekend in late November seal them then. If not wait until next season.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

If you're going to seal, wait at least a year, use paver cleaner, and pressure wash all the dirt and lime "efflorescence" out of the pores. Don't seal dirt or that "whitish film" into the pavers or you'll never get rid of it. Efflorescence happens with almost every new paver installation...

https://camosse.com/getting-rid-of-paver-efflorescence/

I don't seal my pavers. I'll also never use polysand again, but that's a different topic and I've ranted about it elsewhere in the forum. In my opinion, sealer and polysand products have one thing in common. They are both paver industry scams to boost installer profits. It's like a new car that doesn't include floor mats. You have to pay a dealer $200 for OEM mats which are actually worth about $20.

If pavers are installed properly, they're immune to frost upheaval and cracking. A huge advantage to pavers in cold climates is that they don't crack like roads and sidewalks. They're _already_ broken into small, stable pieces. Not to mention that paver sealer wouldn't stop frost upheaval anyway.

I think most of your worries about cracking and stains are addressed in this article...

https://www.themancave.ca/warning-youre-losing-money-by-not-using-driveway-interlocking.html

To me, sealer is a short-term cosmetic choice. Do you like that _Landscape Magazine_ "wet pavers after a Spring rain" look? Okay, we all do. Unfortunately, UV quickly breaks it down and sealed pavers only look that way for a few years.

Regardless if you use sealer (or polysand!), pavers must be maintained every few years. Use paver cleaner (mild acid), a pressure washer, and then top off the sand joints as needed. Whether sealer is used after the cleaning is up to you. I prefer to let them weather naturally. Overall, the cleaning process is a minor pain given how awesome pavers look.

The biggest pain with pavers (in my region) are ANTS. Keeping these pests out of my paver sand is a weekly ongoing battle. So when I clean and renew my paver sand joints next year, I plan to add a thin layer of Diatomaceous Earth to the sand joints before topping off with regular paver sand. Hopefully, this natural pesticide will control ants in my paver sand. We'll see.


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## Hoosier (Jun 12, 2018)

So I'll definitely wait until the spring. Curious as to the reason some people prefer not to seal though? Not set on doing so, just seems to be smart to do based on what I've read so far, though most of that reading has been on blogs written by paver sealer contractors or manufacturer product pages, so obviously not without bias.

I plan to use a zero gloss sealer, so not concerned with the wet look. Main reason is to protect it from the elements. As with sealing a concrete driveway, 99% of people probably don't do it, but preventing water from soaking in will at least in theory significantly extend the life of it... less chipping/cracking over time due to freeze/thaw, harder for mold/mildew to form since water beads on top of it and dries quicker, less staining since liquids don't soak in as well. And on the seat wall, can be wiped down after getting wet instead of waiting for it to dry out before sitting on it. Also from what I understand about how pavers are manufactured, most of the color is in the outer layer, so as that breaks down, so does the color, at least I assume. Most of the good sealers at least claim to have some sort of additive that helps prevent UV rays from bleaching the color, so an added bonus if that's the case.

I guess I look at it like paint sealing or waxing a car... Doesn't have to be done for the car to function, but makes cleaning between waxes much easier, and protects the clear coat from the elements at least enough to justify doing it on occasion.

Thoughts?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

I personally don't like the look of sealed pavers. They claim to enhance the paver color but to me it almost makes everything just look sticky. I know that's a odd way to put it but I much prefer the look of the natural paver.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

First, I'm not discouraging anyone from using paver sealer. It's entirely subjective and I suspect you'll only be satisfied once your pavers are sealed. But I do want to ease your mind on some of these unfounded worries.



Hoosier said:


> ..but preventing water from soaking in will at least in theory significantly extend the life of it...


There is no way to prevent water from soaking into pavers. Avoid any product making that claim. That's a snake-oil salesman who cannot be trusted.

Take a single paver and set it on a concrete patio out in the weather. Place a plastic plate on the top so rain can't reach the paver from above. What happens over time? Water "wicks" into the paver from the bottom and sides.

Water absorption has zero affect on the appearance or lifespan of pavers. Pavers don't "spall" or split due to water freeze/thaw cycles. Large concrete slabs? Yes, absolutely. Concrete pavers? Not at all. The joints between the individual pavers allow expansion and contraction. That's why pavers are immune to cracking or splitting.

> ...harder for mold/mildew to form since water beads on top of it and dries quicker, less staining since liquids don't soak in as well.

What keeps water from soaking into the paver joints? I can assure you that neither polysand nor acrylic sealer can create water-tight paver joints. So the leveling sand and the compacted limestone base get soaked with each rain. Any water in the sub-base eventually wicks upward into the pavers. It's unavoidable.

Mold/mildew aren't really problems on stained pavers. At least I've never seen staining like on a white driveway. You're going to pressure wash the pavers every few years anyway. Pavers in damp shady areas encourage moss growth on the joints (even with polysand). But that's actually rather attractive to some people. I remove the moss for safety reasons. Moss clumps can trip you and they're rather slippery after a rain.

> ...most of the color is in the outer layer...

Pavers must be cut during the install process. Wouldn't it stink if you cut open a dark grey paver and exposed pale white concrete on the sides of your patio? Pavers must be solid color throughout. Concrete stains go into the slurry before going into the molds. The most realistic and expensive pavers like Belgard sprinkle stain after exiting the mold to create a natural, variegated stone look. But the base color is throughout the entire paver.

> ...so as that breaks down, so does the color, at least I assume.

The entire install ages at the same rate. It's not like in first year the pavers are dark grey and a few years later they're all pale grey. They still look like natural stones to me after 4 years. I'd suspect UV would affect certain colors like "brick red" more than natural stone colors like sandstone or dark grey.

Hmm. Do people "seal" red brick houses? No doubt the brick exterior is oxidizing and slowly fading. But I really can't tell after 20 years. Do bricks crack due to freeze/thaw cycles?


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## Hoosier (Jun 12, 2018)

Great explanation - thanks! Definitely helps clear things up. We did end up going with the pavers (actually slabs) that apparently have color added in after the mold, as you mentioned, so maybe a sealer would help with this a bit, but maybe not. I'll at least be less stressed out about wear due to the elements, since I didn't think about how pavers/paver slabs react compared to a large poured concrete slab.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Great write up @hsvtoolfool. I don't have pavers but appreciated the read.


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## berisiw (3 mo ago)

hsvtoolfool said:


> First, I'm not discouraging anyone from using paver sealer. It's entirely subjective and I suspect you'll only be satisfied once your pavers are sealed. But I do want to ease your mind on some of these unfounded worries.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi All, Looking for recommendations for a paver sealer. I figured it's a kind of floor so it should be ok in this forum. I have a pool deck I built about 5+ years ago that I never sealed. It's looking faded and harder to keep clean. I am looking for something with a "wet" look as that is supposed to help restore the color. Conflicting views on solvent-based vs water-based materials. Was also wondering if any of the clear top coat materials for shop floors would work on a paver patio. BTW they are concrete paver blocks. Thanks for any help.


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