Sealing Concrete Pavers?? (how much, Home Depot, contractor)

[SlickP]

Has anyone had this done? Did you do it yourself, what product did you use? Did you use a Contractor, who, how much? Mine aren't that old and they already look horrible. Thanks!

[travelingfood]

just reading around, seems like if it's dirty you might consider just pressure wash it.
sealing sounds easy to DIY too, using sprayer, roller, or brush and let it sit for a while. Just need to clean the pavers first.

[Ryde41]

I read somewhere that pavers will go through some changes. After 3 months something leeches to the surface. After that stuff comes to the surface, and is cleaned away, then it can be sealed. Does it look like a film of concrete? Are they Tremron?

[poolgirl51]

RYDE41 is correct. You need to let the pavers sit for about 3 months before sealing them. This allows for all the efflorescence to rise to the surface. Frankly I don't reccomend sealing pavers. We had our contractor seal them after installation and it was a mess. They eventually had to tear the whole driveway out and start over. There is really no reason to seal concrete pavers. If you do insure you use a sealer that allows water vapor to transmit. Good luck

[cricketfan]

Originally Posted by SlickP

Has anyone had this done? Did you do it yourself, what product did you use? Did you use a Contractor, who, how much? Mine aren't that old and they already look horrible. Thanks!

An old thread. But I have the same questions about sealing my patio pavers. Not sure if I want to do it myself or hire a contractor. Does anyone have an experience with sealing a patio or driveway? Or can you recommend a contractor?

[mawipafl]

We had Tremron pavers installed this summer on our patio, and our contractor recommended sealing immediately because of overhanging trees dropping their mess as well as water in the shade that would sit long before evaporation.

I'm not sure what product he used, but it was something that one can pick up at Home Depot or Lowe's, and it didn't take long for him to apply it (first he used a blower to clean out the spaces between the pavers, and then he applied the sealer with a roller) nor did it take that long to dry. He used a satin or flat product - I don't recall now which - but there's no shine whatsoever and the product didn't make the pavers slippery when wet.

Sealing was included in the price of the patio project, but I think the breakdown was about $300 for that part (I could be totally wrong, but I know it was no more than that). Our patio is 20'x24'.

It's only been 4 months since the project, but our pavers look as new and clean as they did the day they were installed. I disagree with poolgirl 51 - cement pavers are very porous and can easily and quickly soak up whatever is sitting on them. Additionally, junk gets trapped in the nooks and crannies and the sealer somewhat smooths these teeny pockets to make surface cleaning much easier (ie sweeping, hosing off, etc.)

[Ryde41]

Maybe the steps to sealing depend on what your pavers are made of? Some websites say to seal as soon as possible and others say wait for the efflorescence to rise. We need a paver expert.

[cricketfan]

Originally Posted by Ryde41

Maybe the steps to sealing depend on what your pavers are made of? Some websites say to seal as soon as possible and others say wait for the efflorescence to rise. We need a paver expert.

I think most people are dealing with Tremron pavers which are all porous with efflorescence that has to be gotten rid of before sealing. I believe they come in 1/2-inch thickness for less traveled areas like patios and 1-inch bricks for the more heavily traveled driveways. In any case pavers are much more pleasing to the eye when they are seal coated IMO.

[Ryde41]

I called the paver people, ours suggested having the pavers sealed 6 to 8 weeks from installation. I'm glad this topic came up because we were obviously wayy over due to seal ours. They're going to pressure wash it, reapply any needed sand, and then seal it.

[macscleanandseal]

I specialize in cleaning and sealing pavers, There are many tricks to concrete pavers. Efflouresence doesn't always happen, usually when there is excess moisture or sometimes if the sand level is to high. You'll see efflouresence because the stone cannot dry, because it can't breath. When sealer is applied, the surface should be completely clean and the sand level should be corrected or leveled before the cleaning is finished. EXAMPLE: if you have brand new pavers just installed, one of the last steps to finishing an install is to spread joint sand all over the project to fill all of the cracks and then they compact. While this is common practice, it leaves a fine layer of dust on the stones. If the installer pressure washes at the end you should be fine, but if the installer only hoses off the surface you will be left with a dirty surface. Just blowing off the surface will not ensure proper bond and the surface will lose it's color and appear to be fading within 1 year. Once this happens you will need to have the sealer stripped off. Don't try to add sealer or you'll get a sealer build up and it will get worse..
And to get back to efflouresence, I have found after 1000+ jobs that cleaning and prep + maintenance, is always your best bet. when you have a paver problems. I know what they told you when you purchased, but no matter what you will always need maintenance.
I have never waited 3 months to seal a new job, except for when there is excess moisture in the surface. I have 100% customer satisfaction and 75% of work completed has been projects that have been installed for less than 1 week. I'm sure this gets back to prep and cleaning before sealing. I wouldn't recommend sealing pavers unless your ready to strip it off.
I'll be glad to answer more ??