How to Clean Pavers
Do you have some sort of surface that is made out of pavers on your property? It could be a driveway, a patio, a sidewalk, etc. Whatever the case, it’s very likely one of the most eye-catching surfaces on your property. That’s because pavers form intricate tessellating patterns that easily grab your visitors’ attention. However, if your pavers become dirty, they’ll start grabbing attention in a less positive way. This is when you’ll start wondering how to clean pavers and whether you can do this work on your own.
We are happy to inform you that yes, you can clean your pavers on your own! In this blog, we’ll teach you how. We are Revive Paver Restoration, and Bradenton, FL paver maintenance is our specialty. We’re ready to teach you what we know about the work.
Why Cleaning Pavers Is Important
When you’re thinking about how to clean pavers, you may wonder if this work is even necessary. What would happen if you just let your pavers be and waited to see what would happen? At first, you wouldn’t notice a big difference. However, as weeks turn into months, you’ll begin to realize that your pavers are becoming darker and duller. That’s because they are constantly accumulating debris (e.g., dirt, moss, mold, algae, and other substances). The longer your pavers go without cleaning, the less visually appealing they will be.
If you were to continue neglecting your pavers at this point, you would be in for an even worse surprise. Surface debris can actually damage your pavers over time. This is because particles of debris will move back and forth on the pavers, gradually eroding them. At first, this damage won’t be anything serious; over time, though, it will escalate into visible harm. Repairing pavers is expensive, so you are better off preventing it from becoming necessary.
Consider Paver Pressure Washing
When you want to learn how to clean pavers, pressure washing is absolutely worth your consideration. That’s because pressure washing is one of the most effective surface cleaning techniques there is. At Revive Paver Restoration, we use pressure washing to not only clean pavers but also driveways, home exteriors, sidewalks, porches, decks, and many other structures and surfaces!
If you choose to pressure wash your pavers, you’ll need to purchase the correct equipment. This includes a pressure washer, cleaning solutions, and safety gear (i.e., eye protection, gloves, full-length pants, and closed-toe shoes). Don’t want to do this work on your own? If so, reach out to us—our professionals would love to be at your service.
How to Pressure Clean Pavers
Great news—the process of pressure cleaning pavers isn’t so difficult. The first step is clearing any objects off the surface. This includes vehicles, furniture, grills, decorations, and whatever else might get in the way of your work. Please relocate these items to a safe place. Once you do, you can choose an appropriate amount of water pressure for the project. Refer to the bulleted list below for your convenience:
- Natural stone: 500–1,000 PSI
- Brick pavers: 1,000–1,500 PSI
- Standard concrete pavers: 1,500–2,000 PSI
Next, choose a starting point on the surface. It’s usually best to settle for one of the corners. Then, working in a row-by-row manner, wash the entire patio clean. Overlap each pass to ensure no surface area is missed. (You use a similar technique when mowing the lawn.) By the time you are done, the pavers should be much brighter and more vibrant. They will look like they are brand-new again.
How Often Should Pavers Be Cleaned?
An important part of learning how to clean pavers is figuring out how often they need to be cleaned. If you pressure wash your pavers too frequently, you’re essentially wasting time. On the other hand, if your pavers aren’t washed often enough, they’ll become damaged by the excessive accumulation of debris. Talk about a modern-day Goldilocks dilemma. How often do you need to clean pavers for things to be “just right”?
Our recommendation is that you have your pavers cleaned once per year. We have found that this is typically enough for our residential and commercial clients alike. If it has been longer than a year since your pavers were last pressure washed, don’t wait to take action!
Sealing Pavers to Preserve Cleanliness
Did you know that you can actually protect your pavers from becoming dirty and damaged? This is accomplished with a special process called paver sealing. How this works is simple. First, a thin layer of a liquid sealer is brushed onto your pavers. Then, it is simply given up to two days to dry. Once this time has passed, a transparent barrier will have formed around the pavers, shielding them from the outside world. This will help your pavers look better and last longer, so what’s not to like?
We highly recommend that you have your pavers pressure washed before you seal them. Otherwise, all that unwanted grime will be sealed in alongside the pavers. Additionally, debris makes it difficult to put an even layer of sealer atop the surface. Either do the pressure washing on your own, or reach out to us for help.
Professional Paver Services
It’s not always easy to clean and seal your own pavers. This is especially true if you are short on time, low on energy, or otherwise don’t have what it takes to complete the work on your own. When this happens, what should you do? Give up on your pavers? Don’t do that—instead, reach out to Revive Paver Restoration because our professionals know how to clean pavers the right way.
Leave your paver cleaning and paver sealing needs to us because this is our specialty! Simply contact us online to let us know how we can help you. Then, we will give you a free estimate. Finally, choose a time and date for your appointment, and we will be there soon to serve you.