Why should I seal my pavers or natural stone?
This is a great question, and one we feel isn’t asked enough. Each type of exterior surface needs maintained and protected in its own unique way and for its own unique reasons. Too often, we see companies apply a one-size-fits all technique to all surfaces.
Concrete Pavers – Most paver driveways and paver pool decks that you’ll see in Florida are made from concrete. When these pavers are made, the manufacturer mixes concrete with color pigments to achieve the color of the paver. Once these pavers are installed, they are exposed to the sun’s UV rays, acid in rain, impact from rain, salt in the air and in salt water pools, traffic, etc. The sun’s rays will deteriorate the color pigment in the paver causing them to slowly loose their color. The other elements cause a breakdown of the finer cement material on the surface of the paver exposing the rocks in the concrete mix. These rocks don’t accept the color pigment during the manufacturing process, so they will be their natural color and not the color of the paver.
These are concrete pavers. Notice the line down the middle. The pavers on the right appear more worn than the pavers on the left. That’s because the pavers on the left are under a roof overhang that blocks out the sun and rain. The pavers on the right get exposure to the sun and rain. Had these pavers been sealed, the pavers on the right would look like the pavers on the left.
