When you installed your pavers, you didn’t expect to grow a garden in between every block. Yet your sanded joints have turned into green landscaping and you have a collection of empty weed killer bottles that continues to grow.
In a moment of desperation, you reach for your phone and search, “How do you combat weeds on pavers?” The all-knowing technology answers: “Seal them.”
Now, you’re here to ask the professionals, does sealing pavers prevent weeds?
The short answer is: Nothing can completely prevent weeds from growing in your paver joints, but sealing your joints will resist weeds well.
The Anatomy of Your Pavers
Even though your pavers are too hard for the roots of plants to penetrate, they find a way around them. You might wonder why pavers need to have spaces and what good is the sand.
When your driveway, lanai, or pool deck was installed, a layer of sand was distributed evenly before the pavers were set in place. This helps to keep the pavers from shifting around, sinking, or lifting up. Without sand, your pavers would slowly become a treacherous miniature mountain range.
Once every paver is in place, more sand is poured over and pushed into the spaces (also known as joints) along the sides of every block. Once again, the sand is there to stop the pavers from moving around, but it also cushions them from rubbing against one another. If the pavers were to touch, they would slowly chip away at each other.
Most fauna can’t survive in the sand alone, but as you walk and drive over the pavers, dirt mingles with the sand. When storms brew in Florida, the wind and rain push even more organic material into the joints.
Eventually, the spaces between your pavers become the perfect habitat for weeds to germinate and grow.
How Weeds Get Into Paver Joints
When you or a landscaping crew mow the lawn and weed whack, it loosens and moves seeds around. If they aren’t blown directly onto the pavers, foot traffic from people and animals will track the seeds across your patio, walkways, and driveway.
It’s virtually impossible to completely protect your pavers from exposure to unwanted seeds. But it is possible to deter them from growing once they get there.
What is Paver Sealing?
Paver sealer is a protective coating applied to the exterior surface of outdoor pavers every 2 or 3 years. For best results, this should be done by a professional who has been trained.
This is because certified experts like you’ll find at Premier Pro Wash & Seal use professional-grade paver sealer that won’t yellow, flake, or peel. This is not your average sealer found in hardware stores, but rather, high-quality two-part sealer that protects your investment.
Once a layer of sealer is sprayed over your pavers, polymers fill pores and cracks and bind to the substrate, acting as a shield against:
- Stains
- UV rays
- Mold
- Algae
- Moisture
- Damage
Our water-based sealer is made specifically to also bind to the sand in the joints to stabilize them. This further resists moisture, mold, algae, insects, and weeds by making the joints rock hard.
How Does Sealing Pavers Prevent Weeds?
Paver sealing will prevent most weeds but not all of them. You may find an occasional herculean weed that defies the odds and grows in the most inhospitable environments. Weeds are, after all, very hardy and stubborn plants.
Paver sealing will mitigate 60% to 85% of your weed problem. The environment around your pavers will greatly influence how well paver sealer prevents weeds.
For instance, a screened lanai with a paver pool deck will experience fewer weeds overall because it has limited traffic. And the traffic it receives doesn’t typically travel across the landscaping.
The pool cage will also serve to protect the pavers from seeds that are carried by the wind.
But areas that are more open such as driveways, walkways, and patios will have more exposure to a variety of plant materials.
Another excellent benefit to sealing your pavers is the protection it offers. Many weed killers, especially homemade ones, will stain or permanently damage brick, stone, and concrete! Vinegar, salt, and boiling water can discolor the surface, leaving an unsightly mark.
But when you seal your pavers, you minimize the amount of liquid that can be absorbed into the brick, making them more resilient against damage caused by acids, salt, and chemicals.
We recommend that you always consult with the paver manufacturer before using any homemade or commercial weed killer. If you do not know the manufacturer of your pavers, test in a small and inconspicuous spot and check for color changes.
But Some Paver Sealing Companies Say Their Sealer Prevents Weeds Completely!
Does sealing pavers prevent weeds 100%? No one can guarantee that their sealer will stop weeds entirely. Any paver sealing company or product that claims that it can mitigate weeds 100% of the time is deceitful. There is no such thing as impenetrable paver joints.
Although paver sealer does a phenomenal job at resisting weeds, you might spot a few green enemies infiltrating your pavers.
The good news is, a few weeds are far less than unsealed pavers will see! Paver sealing is effective at reducing the weed population on your pavers by a lot. And if you don’t feel like fighting the ones that sneak in, when your pavers are cleaned, stray plants will be kicked to the curb.
Paver Sealing in Tampa Bay, Florida
If you want your pavers sealed on your commercial or residential property, call on the experts! We only use the best products and the most effective techniques to create stunning results you will love. Our licensed and insured technicians will wash your pavers and seal them in a timely manner with skill and precision.
If you care about the beauty of your home or business, you want contractors with the knowledge and experience to do the job right. Contact Premier Pro Wash & Seal for a free quote today.