How to Apply a Paver Sealer
Exterior landscape pavers are extremely popular because of their versatility and beautiful appearance. They can be used as walkways, driveways, patios, garden paths, and so on. Some larger pavers that resemble a concrete block can be stacked up in a staggered pattern to create landscape and retaining walls. With many choices of sizes, colors, shapes, and textures the sky is the limit. However, pavers should be sealed to preserve their color and integrity.
Knowing how to apply a paver sealer is the key to getting professional like results. The first step in sealing pavers is to wash the pavers to remove any dirt buildup and grime. You will also need to blast away any sand joints so they can be replaced. Weeds and moss should also be removed. A pressure washer and concrete cleaner are ideal. Once the pavers are completely cleaned and have dried out for several days a new paver sealer can be applied. If your paver area has sand joints you will need to replace the sand prior to sealing. If not then you can move on to sealing the pavers.
The best way to replace the sand joints is to pour polymeric sand on the surface and fill the gaps using a push broom. Do this until all the joints are filled and then use a leaf blower to get rid of the excess sand dust. Next, mist water on the paver surface to slightly wet the area. This helps lock in the sand. Allow the surface to dry once again for a day or so. You are now ready to apply paver sealer. It is best to use a solvent based type of paver sealer. These types of sealers reportedly look better and last longer than other sealers such as the acrylic-based types.
Paver sealers can be applied using a pump up sprayer, roller, or brush. Apply the paver sealer according to the directions. Work in small areas at a time and apply the sealer evenly. Using a brush to cut in edges and rolling or spraying the larger open areas seems to work best. It is important not to over-apply the paver sealer. More is not always the better case. Coat the surface just enough to allow the sealer to penetration and for the sand joints to solidify. Knowing how to apply a paver sealer will help protect your invest by giving your paver surfaces a long lasting beautiful finish.
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Hi, I tried to apply my solvent based wet look paver sealer to my pavers. However the plastic sprayer I was using clogged and then the hose burst spraying sealer EVERYWHERE!! My question is, what kind of sprayer would work better for this product? Does it need to be metal? Also how to I clean the sprayer afterwards? thanks.
Yes it should be metal. Chapin 1949 is what we use. Clean with xylene or lacquer thinner.
Chapin 1949 is good but sealers with acetone eventually damage them. Chapin produces an sprayer that takes care of that.
Some good tips in this article, thank you for posting!