What is the Right Way of Cleaning and Maintaining Paver Walkways?

Paving stones, are pavers, are a beautiful addition to any area. If you are lucky enough to have these as part of your garden, walkway, driveway, or patio, you probably know how beautiful they can be. However, as time progresses, pavers can get dirty and become less appealing. Cleaning these pavers should be part of regular property maintenance. Improper cleaning of pavers can damage them, so here is the right way to clean and maintain paver walkways.

Clean the Pavers Using a Cleaning Solution

First, prep the area by removing any furniture, planters, or other objects that may be sitting in the way. Also take care to cover any landscaping that is close to the walkway to avoid contact or splashing with the cleaning solution. Use a stiff brush to remove any moss or weeds that are on or growing between the pavers. You may use a weed killer to help with this if you plan ahead.

Wet the surface of the pavers and prepare your cleaning solution. Using a brush with stiff bristles, scrub the pavers using the cleaning solution and hose them off with a regular garden hose. Avoid scrubbing too hard and scratching the pavers, and avoid using a pressure washer, as this could chip the stone, or blast away too much of the in between sand.

Resand the Pavers

After the pavers have dried out for a few days, you may notice that some of the sand in between has washed away over time. Using polymeric sand, pour some on top of the pavers and sweep the sand using a stiff broom until the sand has settled into the gaps.

Seal the Pavers

The final step is to seal the pavers using a specialized sealer specific for your type of stone. Sealers help to protect the pavers, and keep them looking clean and new for longer. Make sure you give the sealer plenty of time to properly cure and dry before walking on it, or moving any furniture back on. Some sealers may require a second coat, so make sure to check thoroughly.

Cleaning your pavers should be a regular part of your property cleaning. Although it is a relatively simple process, it can be quite labour intensive. If you would prefer a professional do this task for you, consider contacting Always Clean and rest assured your pavers will be cleaned the right way!