Paver stones have been used for hundreds of years, from winding brick paths to castle terraces. Adding pavers to your landscaping, whether it’s a paver patio, a walkway, or a driveway, can make any home seem like a castle.
Once your brick patio is installed, it doesn’t need much maintenance. This is one of the great traits of brick. Brick pavers add a decorative element to any setting. Whether your pavers are used as a walkway through your garden, a patio, on your pool deck, or driveway, your pavers are bound to lose their luster over time.
Although you can clean your brick pavers yourself, if you are unable to do so, don't worry. Cates Pressure Washing, serving eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, can take care of that for you.
What Should You Know Before You Tackle the Task of Cleaning Your Brick Pavers
Before you begin washing your brick pavers, you need to inspect the patio or walkway to determine if there are any maintenance issues that need to be taken care of first. Then when these issues are taken care of, you can wash the pavers and restore them to their original luster.
Many of the most common paver problems aren’t necessarily a result of installation problems or hardscape failures. They can be as basic as an errant stain or as complex as earthquake damage. The good news is many of the solutions to these problems are fairly easy for a homeowner to take on themselves.
Common Maintenance Issues to Look for Before Cleaning Your Brick Pavers
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Stains: From oil stains to tire marks, unsealed paving stones can develop unsightly stains and other surface blemishes from the elements and daily use. Sealing will help prevent stains and make it easier to wash away dirt and dust. Reapply sealer every three to five years.
- Weeds: One of the few downsides to brick pavers is that weeds can grow in between the stones. Joint sand holds pavers together, and using the right type of joint sand can help prevent weed growth. Polymeric sand is a joint sand that creates a durable joint between pavers, so many contractors opt to use it. To stop weeds from growing between pavers, remove any existing weeds by hand, and replace the joint sand with polymeric sand.
- Loose paver tiles: As the sand settles beneath the pavers, it can cause the bricks or tiles to shift and become loose. Repair brick pavers as soon as possible because they create an uneven walking surface and a tripping hazard. Remove each paver one at a time, add new joint sand, and then place the stones or paver tiles back.
- Tree roots: Ideally, any tree roots are removed before installing pavers. However, tree roots can grow up to three times their canopy spread, so it’s not uncommon for them to eventually interfere with your paver patio. If tree roots are pushing up your brick pavers, you’ll need to remove them before you can fix your patio.
- Shifting: Tree roots are not the only culprit when it comes to moving paver stones. When the soil beneath the paver stones expands, it can cause shifting and gaps in between the pavers. Earthquakes can also cause pavers to shift. Fill in the gaps with polymeric sand. If more extensive shifting has occurred, you may want to consult with a pro to assess the best course of action.
- Cracked tiles: Even the strongest paver stone can crack with time and age. The good news is it’s fairly easy to replace one tile. It’s always a good idea to keep a few extra pavers on hand for repairs when installing paver patios, driveways, or walkways. Remove the offending paver, and flip it over to assess the damage. If the crack is significant, you can replace it with a new paver. Add sand as needed.
Five Simple Steps to Clean Your Brick Pavers
Now that you have made any repairs needed, you can clean your brick pavers to restore them to their original appearance.
- Remove weeds from around your pavers. Pull weeds up by hand from between the tiles. Make sure to remove the roots as well with a tool if needed.
- Remove loose dirt. Sweep the loose dirt, leaves, etc., from the brick pavers.
- Clean brick pavers with water. Utilize a garden hose to spray the pavers to further clean them. Pressure washing can be utilized to clean with added water pressure.
- Remove stains and mold from pavers. Mix a solution of four cups of bleach in one gallon of water and utilize a scrub brush to clean the pavers. If you’re having difficulty removing some stains, allowing the soapy mixture to sit on the stain for a few minutes may help.
- Finish up with a final rinse. Hose your patio brick pavers down and let them dry. Once they’ve dried, you can assess the condition of each paver to see if further spot cleaning is required.
Cates Pressure Washing Can Clean Your Brick Pavers
Cates Pressure Washing has been serving northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina since 1997. We specialize in residential, commercial, and new construction job site pressure washing, including no-pressure roof cleaning, brick cleaning, concrete pressure washing, concrete sealing, deck cleaning, and other various pressure washing services.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all work performed, whether the residential homeowner or commercial contractor. We offer a free test cleaning to show our customers what type of professional job they can expect.
We are located at 2291 Enterprise Rd., Piney Flats, TN. You can reach us in Tennessee at 423-557-5605 or North Carolina at 828-808-6582, or online at Cates Pressure Washing.