When installed correctly, both brick and concrete pavers are incredibly durable and can offer many years of longevity. In order to fully protect pavers and ensure the longest possible life-cycle, though, paver sealer is essential. In this article, we’ll take a look at what paver sealer is, the role that it plays in paver installation, and why paver sealer is so important.
What is Paver Sealer?
Paver sealer is a liquid solution that can be applied to both concrete and brick pavers in order to block out moisture as well as UV light. There are two basic types of paver sealer – film-forming and non-film-forming paver sealer. Film-forming paver sealer provides a gloss or semi-gloss finish to your pavers while non-film-forming paver sealer provides a matte finish. Film-forming paving sealer also offers a higher degree of protection since it forms an actual physical barrier over the surface of your pavers. However, non-film-forming paver sealer is still a fine choice for protecting your pavers as well.
How is Paver Sealer Applied?
Before you apply paver sealer, it’s essential to first thoroughly clean the pavers that you are applying it to. Cleaning all of the dirt and debris off of the pavers before applying paver sealer gives the sealant a better surface to stick to and allows the sealant to seep down into the pores of the pavers.
Once the pavers have been thoroughly cleaned and allowed to dry, paver sealer can be applied using either a sprayer or a roller. With both of these methods, though, it is essential to ensure a consistent application. After the first coating, it is recommended to reapply paver sealer every 3-5 years.
Why is Paver Sealer Important?
Paver sealer plays a number of important roles when it comes to protecting your pavers and ensuring that they continue to look as new as they did the day they were installed. Just a few of the reasons why paver sealer is so important include:
Protection Against Water Damage
Over time, water can erode away pavers, dulling their finish and even damaging their integrity. Neither concrete nor brick are immune to damage from prolonged exposure to water, as both are porous materials that allow water to seep down deep into the paver. Pavers can be especially prone to damage from water during harsh winter weather. When water that has seeped into pavers freezes, it can expand, permanently damaging the pavers in the process.
Paver sealer, however, is designed to be a fully waterproof coating, causing water to slide right off of the pavers rather than seeping down into the material.
Protection Against UV Light
In the same way that prolonged exposure to sunlight can dull the paint job on a vehicle, the UV rays found in sunlight will, over time, dull the finish of pavers as well. Bricks that were once shiny and red will turn a dull, faded color in little time at all if left unprotected and exposed to the sunlight. The same holds true for concrete pavers as well, which will likewise fade in color over time due to sunlight exposure.
Like sunblock for your pavers, though, paver sealer works to block out UV rays, protecting pavers from the sunlight and preventing the finish of the pavers from fading over time.
Preventing Plant Growth
Weeds, grass, moss, and other vegetation can grow in even the tiniest cracks and spaces between pavers – and nothing looks less appealing than pavers that are spotted with vegetation growth. Without any kind of barrier to keeps weeds, grass, and moss from growing, keeping vegetation from springing up in the joints between pavers can be an uphill battle of pulling weeds and spraying herbicide.
Applying paver sealer, however, can keep vegetation from ever sprouting in-between pavers in the first place. The thin barrier that paver sealer forms over all of the tiny cracks and joints where vegetation could otherwise take root makes it impossible for grass, moss, and weeds to sprout up.
Protection Against Stains
Since brick and concrete are both porous materials, they both can stain quite easily. Mud, oil, and other contaminants can seep down into pavers, leading to noticeable discoloration. In the same way that paver sealer prevents water from seeping down into pavers, it can prevent staining liquids from ever coming in contact with the pavers as well. If a homeowner wants to preserve the color of their pavers for as long as possible, protecting against stains by applying paver sealer is the most effective approach.
Easier Cleanup
Pavers that have been coated with paver sealer are much easier to wash and clean than pavers that have not. Rather than having to power wash pavers in order to force out the dirt and debris that has gathered in the pavers’ pores, sealing off those pores with paver sealer makes cleaning pavers as easy as giving them a light wash. Since any dirt that gathers on sealed pavers will just be resting on the surface of the sealant, even a small amount of water pressure will easily wash it away.
Enhancing Color and Brightness
Paver sealer not only preserves the look of pavers, it also makes them look better than they did the day they were installed. By adding a glossy finish to the surface of a paver driveway or a paved patio, paver sealer is able to enhance the color and brightness of the pavers, improving their aesthetics as well as their durability.
Conclusion
Applying paver sealer is an essential component of paver installation. Unfortunately, far too many homeowners are unaware of the vital role that paver sealer plays in protecting pavers from the elements and preserving their durability.
From preventing weed growth to enhancing the color and brightness of the pavers to protecting them from erosion, paver sealer works to perform a number of vital tasks. If you would like to fully protect the pavers that you install and ensure that they look great and remain durable for as many years as possible, applying a high-quality paver sealer is an excellent option to consider.
