When you design & plan your project, choose colors and styles carefully. Certain colors and patterns work better in specific areas. Choose colors that compliment your house and provide a maintenance level that suits your lifestyle. This system performs best when correctly installed based on your traffic loading, weather and soil conditions. When you make this investment, remember to choose your contractor & materials carefully so that you get the best long-term performance from your hardscape.
Choose an “experienced” paver installer, because their designers can guide you through the planning and design of your project. Choose a high quality installation with the right products to get the best ROI with the lowest risk.
Structural Maintenance
Is defined as uplifting and replacing or re-leveling individual units to maintain a functional “level” hardscape. From a structural perspective, pavers do not crack because “the system” flexes during movement. After the first 6 – 9 months, your pavers have settled to their final elevation. Correctly installed pavers on a good (correct thickness that is well compacted) base typically require little structural maintenance. Movement sometimes occurs in sections that are lifted by plant roots. The good news, pavers can be repaired without the unattractive “patched” look so these repairs or utility repairs can be carried out without hesitation.
Good quality installations by good contractors will minimize issues, but you might want to keep some extra pavers, they may come in handy in the future. Monitor surrounding root growth to limit movement.
Aesthetic Maintenance
Focuses on the look of your project and steps you can take to keep it looking its best. With some planning, you can prevent some staining and manage other discoloration. Pavers have a low absorption surface, but spills can penetrate into the substrate and cause staining. Sealers will slow down and reduce the amount of stain penetration, minimizing the impact of these problems, but cleaning materials that cause stains is a key element of any maintenance plan. The pigments used in pavers are stable and resist fading. The colored surface undergoes a slight reduction in the concentration of color as normal surface wear exposes small stone aggregates.
Prevent stains before they happen and consider protective sealers to improve your cleaning results. Joint Stabilizing Sealers also improve the look of your project while bonding your joint sand so call or visit us online to get more information about these options to protect your pavers and your joint sand.
Joint Sand
Is a vital part of the paver system. It promotes interlock between the units and more importantly, 
“seals” the joints so that moisture does not penetrate into the sub-base and undermine the installation. Limited joint sand loss is normal for paver installations. Loose sand can simply be swept into the joints, as part of your regular maintenance. The general rule of thumb is that correctly graded ASTM C-144 “mason sand” or C-933 “concrete sand” should be at least 1/8″ below the bottom of the chamfer or the tumbled edge of the paver. This level optimizes the look and performance for your pavement.
Stabilization is the best solution for maintenance of joint sand. Choose a Joint Stabilizing Sealer for a long-term chemically cured joint with surface protection in the look you want.
Joint sand may become recessed between your pavers through regular use and cleaning. Topical weeds can grow in these locations from windblown seeds, because joint sand and bedding sand does not contain plant material. Weeds should be pulled and pretreated with herbicide prior to reinstatement of “clean” sand to inhibit future growth.
Insects and ants may burrow through the sand if pavers are installed over the nest. Spray insecticide prior to reinstating sand to change their habits.
Joint sand stabilization locks the sand in place reducing these issues.
Post-construction clean up
Should be undertaken with scrubbing brushes and water where possible. Do not mix mortars and other materials on the paver surface without adequate protection.
Chemicals can be used to clean specific stains as needed but correctly used, a hot water pressure washer, may provide the best results.
When considering polymeric sand, remember that liquid Joint Stabilizing Sealers provide superior stabilization and protection without discoloring the paver surface. Polymeric sand haze from cement-based binders that float on the surface (during installation or heavy rain), can be cleaned with Eco-New Concentrate. This product is recommended for professional use only.