“I need something that is low maintenance.”
That is a statement I hear from almost every homeowner. Nothing would shock me more than to have a homeowner tell me that a high maintenance product isn’t an issue. Everyone is busy with work, family, and hobbies, and no one wants an outdoor living area that will require a significant investment of time to maintain it. They also don’t want the expense of paying someone else to maintain it either.
The good news is that a properly installed paver patio is a very low maintenance option for your outdoor living area. Please note that I said low maintenance, not no maintenance. So let us briefly go over a few of the items that will need attention to ensure a beautiful and long lasting paver patio.
For starters, the maintenance level for just about anything depends on the quality of how it was constructed. Something that was installed sloppily will require a whole lot of maintenance. So make sure that you hire a company that has a reputation for quality work.
The simplest and most basic way to keep your patio looking magnificent is to keep it clean. Take a leaf blower and quickly blow off any debris or leaves as needed. You might need to do it slightly more often in the autumn if you patio is located under some trees. We also recommend going over the patio with a low pressure power washer once or twice a year. If it is in a shaded area where moss likes to grow, you might need to wash it off 2 or 3 times a year.
In order to protect the pavers from stains, discoloration, or significant color fading, we recommend a process known as sealing. The pavers need to be thoroughly cleaned, allowed to dry, and then apply the sealer with a sprayer and/or paint roller. Some pavers come pre-sealed, but regardless, most manufacturers recommend resealing the pavers once every 4-5 years.
Lastly, the polymeric joint sand between the pavers will probably need to be replaced at some point. If your contractor used a high quality polymeric sand and you clean and seal your patio, you can probably go 10 years or more without having to replace it. When the time does come, it will require a high pressure power washer to blast the old sand out of the joints. After the patio has had time to dry, then the new polymeric sand can be swept into the joints and wetted down to set up.
There you have it. With very little effort and maintenance, you can keep the centerpiece of your outdoor living area looking beautiful for many years to come.